State to pay doctors, dietitians to treat poor, obese South Carolinians
By Adam Beam, The State (Columbia, S.C.) | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Now,
"In a nation that is getting fatter and fatter and fatter,
Almost 32 percent of South Carolinians are obese, defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher, a weight-to-height ratio used as an indicator of obesity. Among the roughly 1 million South Carolinians on
Republican Gov.
The anti-obesity coverage would pay for up to six visits a year with a physician and six visits with a licensed dietitian, a nutrition specialist who has a five-year degree who also is registered with the state. State officials estimate about 86,000 people, or 60 percent of
If 60 percent do participate, officials estimate that the cost to the state's
The state's
"The goal here ... is to make people healthier and to reduce spending on health care, and that goes hand in hand," said state Rep.
Smith's comment was a reference to the federal Affordable Care Act, which offered
Democratic reaction to the proposal from Republican Haley's
"It sounds like a good idea. But it still leaves the major problem on the table, as not enough of our citizens have access to affordable health care," said state Rep.
Dr.
"We tend to teach our children to eat and prepare foods the same way we do," he said. "It's a whole lot better to improve one's lifestyle than it is to treat a disease process at the end of bad habits."
Reach Beam at (803) 386-7038.
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