New Obesity Study Findings Recently Were Reported by Researchers at University Hospital (Weigh More, Pay More? Public Opinion on Varying Health Insurance Contributions among Divergent Weight Groups)

Obesity Daily News

2019 OCT 24 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions - Obesity. According to news reporting originating in Leipzig, Germany, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “The prevalence of obesity and its related costs has increased over the past decades. In Germany, obesity-related costs are merely covered by statuary health insurance.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from University Hospital, “Within the statutory health care system, the health insurance contributions do not differ between people with and without health issues, such as being obese. This study aims to investigate the public’s opinion about whether people with obesity should pay a higher proportional health care contribution than people of normal weight. We conducted a pilot study and collected thereof data of a convenience sample. In total, 179 participants who perceived themselves to be of normal weight (51.40% female; mean age=32.46, SD=5.74) were surveyed using a questionnaire. Within this questionnaire, the participants had to rate how high the proportional health care contribution for people with and without obesity should be. Moreover, we assessed participants’ antifat attitudes by applying the Fat Phobia Scale and the Implicit Association Test. A paired t test revealed that participants suggest a significantly higher proportional contribution for health insurance for people with obesity compared to people with normal weight (t(178)=4.51, p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicates that people with stronger explicit (OR=8.77, p<0.001) and implicit stigma (OR=1.06, p=0.018), and higher BMI (OR=1.27, p=0.04) are more likely to suggest an increased contribution rate for people with obesity. Although we found that participants suggested higher contribution rates for people with obesity, overall only one-quarter of the participants suggested higher contribution rates for people with obesity, whereas almost three-quarters of the participants did not distinguish the contribution rate for people with and without obesity. Moreover, we found that the participants called for higher insurance premiums for people with and without obesity.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Therefore, future studies should consider giving more information about the statutory health care system or the health care contribution rate before asking participants about their opinion.”

For more information on this research see: Weigh More, Pay More? Public Opinion on Varying Health Insurance Contributions among Divergent Weight Groups. Obesity Facts, 2019;():1-9. (Karger - http://www.karger.com/; Obesity Facts - http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=JournalHome&ProduktNr=233731)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting M. Bernard, Integrated Research and Treatment Center (IFB) Adiposity Diseases, University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany, . Additional authors for this research include S.G. Riedel-Heller and C. Luck-Sikorski.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1159/000502799. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.