04 May Intellihealth Launches ‘Weight Matters’ Podcast

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Louis Aronne, MD
Co-Founder and Chief Medical Advisor at Intellihealth
The Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research
Weill Cornell Medicine Medical Director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center

MedicalResearch.com:  What is the mission of Intellihealth? 

Response: The mission of Intellihealth is transforming healthcare to help millions of people live healthier, happier lives through the medical treatment of obesity. Almost half of the US population has obesity but less than 2% are able to get treatment. The lack of available treatment and the stigmatized perception of obesity is what we aim to eliminate.

MedicalResearch.com:  How does obesity affect health and health care costs?

Response:  Obesity is a leading contributor to over 200 diseases: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, many types of cancer, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. All of these diseases and comorbidities have a link to excess weight, and their severity could be reduced by addressing the underlying issue of obesity. According to the World Health Organization, almost 3 million people die as a result of obesity or excess weight each year. And the National Institutes of Health has reported that obesity and overweight are now the second leading cause of death nationally. Perhaps that’s because unlike the more than 80 percent of patients with diabetes who receive treatment for their disease, less than 2 percent of patients with obesity or overweight are treated according to the latest guidelines.

Obesity is also an economic burden, leading to more than $210 billion a year in direct medical costs.8 Indirect costs, such as employer expenses, absenteeism, and lost productivity add up to as much as $500 billion annually. For adults with obesity, that translates to more than $3,500 in medical care costs per patient each year.

MedicalResearch.com:  How would you describe the Weight Matters podcast? To whom it is directed?  What topics are discussed?

Response: Almost two-thirds of the U.S. population is overweight or suffers from obesity, yet the growing epidemic is still largely misunderstood. In the Weight Matters podcast, Dr. Katherine Saunders and I will address the many misconceptions associated with weight and how it impacts our broader health. With the help of thought leaders and other medical experts, we unpack the science behind the root causes and conditions that stem from obesity, one of the leading drivers of healthcare costs, to shed some light on why weight truly matters.

New episodes will be released biweekly and will address topics such as the stigma surrounding obesity, the relationship between weight and cancer, the impact of weight on orthopedic surgery outcomes, the predatory diet industry, and the increased urgency of mitigating obesity-related population risks in light of the strong correlation between excess weight and negative COVID-19 outcomes.

For more information on guests and episodes, visit www.intellihealth.co/podcast.

MedicalResearch.com:  Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: Obesity is a complex disease that is a tipping point to a number of health conditions, and stubbornly resistant to treatment through the traditional interventions of diet and exercise alone. To shed more light on this multifaceted problem, we’ve spoken with a diverse lineup of compelling experts. Our podcast’s guests speak to the best of medical science, and, while healthcare decision makers are the primary audience for these topics, the podcast is accessible to a wide audience. Anyone interested in learning more about the physiology of weight gain and how obesity affects us on both a personal and societal level needs to hear these thought-provoking exchanges.

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Last Updated on May 4, 2022 by Marie Benz MD FAAD