To Stem Obesity Epidemic, Hospitals Should Appeal to Women as Household Leaders, Communicate Comprehensive Programs, According to New Study

EVANSTON, IL — September 7, 2006 — The obesity epidemic in the United States is growing at an alarming rate. To effectively engage the obese healthcare consumer there are several steps that healthcare providers can take, according to a new report by Solucient®, the nation's leading source of information products for the healthcare industry.

In its report, National Trends in Healthcare Consumerism: The Obesity Epidemic and Its Impact on Consumers, Solucient highlights findings on individuals' perceived health status, the impact of obesity at the household level, attitudes and expectations of obese adults, and obese adults' willingness to take positive steps toward better health. Data for this analysis were gathered from Solucient's HealthView Plus® national healthcare consumer research tool and represent the collective responses of nearly 20,000 households annually.

One finding reveals that obese women are highly involved in making healthcare decisions not only for themselves, but for their families as well. Appealing directly to women as parents and household leaders may be an effective approach to engage this population in a meaningful dialogue about the health risks of obesity for the entire household.

The report also found that obese individuals have a high prevalence of a variety of chronic diseases, including depression, migraines and sleep disorders. This information offers healthcare providers a unique opportunity to differentiate obesity and weight management programs in the marketplace by offering comprehensive treatment options and follow-up services.

"The healthcare system is failing to make progress in addressing the obesity epidemic," stated Brian Frisch, planning and marketing professional for Solucient. "The impact of obesity on the nation's health and the cost of providing service is tremendous. Current trends indicate the situation will worsen before it improves."

"The healthcare system needs to broaden its focus to include the prevention of obesity in addition to treatment options," said Frisch. "By offering comprehensive programming to targeted groups of adults, providers can not only help improve the health of local communities, but also reap the benefits of cost avoidance by reducing unnecessary, expensive utilization that is often associated with the chronic conditions experienced by the obese population."

The Spirit of Women National Hospital Network is one organization that is currently addressing the obesity epidemic by offering comprehensive programs for obese women and their families through its member hospitals.

The Spirit of Women is a national coalition of hospitals and healthcare facilities in over 55 U.S. cities joined together to advance the cause and business of women's health.

"Preventing obesity in our children and ourselves is not the painful process of self-denial that most people believe it to be," said Tanya Abreu, president of The Spirit of Women. "Instead, health needs to be connected to actions that are fun, emotional and non-judgmental. Spirit of Women hospital programs such as the Day of Dance for Heart Health, Your Best Self Now, Family Spirit, and Spirit Girls Night Out underscore that the steps to better health can be seen as simply a fun activity with family and friends.

"We believe that focusing on the 'dangers of fat' and the discipline of a lifetime of dieting is not enough in the war against obesity. The solution may lie in enjoying life and time with family and friends as an incentive to integrating healthier foods and fitness habits for the long term," stated Abreu.

Other key findings of the Solucient report include:

• A significant number of obese individuals either do not realize they are obese or are not willing to admit they are obese.
• Obesity is an epidemic at the household level, with 18 percent of U.S. children classified as obese and 43 percent of adults reporting that at least one other member of their household is also obese.
• Providers must ensure that communication to the overweight and obese populations is handled with compassion and respect. Obese individuals place substantially greater value on the ability to maintain their dignity while addressing this disease.
• Adults who consider themselves obese tend to be proactive in seeking out health information and show an above average propensity to attend educational programs and events.
• Adults who consider themselves obese are generally found to be more responsive to providers' marketing efforts, but behavioral segmentation of this population can drive even more effective communications.

About Solucient
Solucient® is an information products company serving the healthcare industry. It is the market leader in providing tools and vital insights that healthcare managers use to improve the performance of their organizations.

By integrating, standardizing and enhancing healthcare information, Solucient provides comparative measurements of cost, quality and market performance. Solucient's expertise and proven solutions enable providers and pharmaceutical companies to drive business growth, manage costs and deliver high quality care. For more information, visit www.solucient.com.