In a recent article, TIME reveals the painful truth about obesity in America.  According to the annual report from Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, obesity rates are increasing in six states and decreasing in exactly zero states.

The study shows that the six states whose obesity rates increased in the last year include: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, New Jersey, Tennessee and Wyoming.  However, two states have excelled beyond the rest.  Mississippi and West Virginia are tired for the most obese state, with rates at 35.1%.

We are proud to report that Colorado is the least obese state with a rate of 21.3%.  However, this number is still high compared to the 15% obesity rate just 30 years ago.

How and why do obesity rates increase?  This can be attributed to both worsening eating habits and lack of exercise.  Thanks to an influx of fast-food restaurants, low accessibility of affordable healthy foods as well as our sedentary lifestyles, the obesity epidemic continues to grow.
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Ginny Ehrlich, the director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s childhood obesity team, says: “If we don’t reverse these trends, the nation will stay on course toward disastrous health and cost outcomes.”
To read more, visit TIME.

Sleep Apnea is a common disorder in which a person stops breathing for a brief moment while asleep. This condition often results in restless and sleeplness nights.

​While CPAP or APAP devices are typically prescribed to patients with sleep apnea, researchers are now finding a small percentage of weight loss can also help to combat the disorder.

A report compiled by Finnish researchers and published in the Feb. 11 issue of Sleep Medicine, found that “losing as little as 5 percent of body weight leads to significant improvement” for sleep apnea patients, reports Health Magazine.

Dr. Henri Tuomilehto, an adjunct professor at the University of Eastern Finland’s Oivauni Sleep Clinic and the lead researcher on the project claims,“Being moderately overweight increases the risk for obstructive sleep apnea by 10 times.”

Additionally, “Dr. Harly Greenberg, head of sleep medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., [says] obesity is linked to sleep apnea because fatty tissue accumulates around the neck and narrows the airway, making it more susceptible to obstruction during sleep.”

Did you know, costs for obesity treatment may be tax deductible?

According to Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code, amounts paid for the primary purpose of treating a disease are deductible as medical care. Obesity is medically accepted to be a disease in its own right.

Dr. James Hendrick of Medical Metabolic Specialists is the only obesity specialist in Northern Colorado certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

*We recommend seeking the counsel of a qualified tax expert to ensure that your specific situation is tax deductible. Additional information can be found here.