Obesity Treatments Using Surgical Methods Can Help Curb Billions in HealthCare Cost in the US.

Treating people with chronic diseases accounts for a disproportionate share of America’s health care dollar—as much as 75 percent of the spending. As treatment guidelines for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar are lowered, more patients are receiving care than ever before. The rising prevalence of obesity in America is also contributing to increased health care spending. As America’s waistline expands, health care costs for obesity-related illnesses and disease also increase, and the problem is getting worse. Over the past quarter century, adult obesity has doubled in the United States, and childhood obesity has tripled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the National Business Group on Health reported in 2007 that more than a third of US adults—more than 72 million people—were obese (BMI > 30). 

Diet and exercise do not work and the physician community does not know how to deal with patients with obesity. The HMO doctor has 15 min to spend with the patient. As a result nothing is suggested except “watch your diet” `. The real answer to this problem is in medical device technology. Companies like: Allegan’s lab band, GI Dynamics, Onciomed,  J&J s, Satiety, Baranova, Reshape medical are some of the most important technologies of the decade.

According to Mr Hank Plain of Morganthaler ventures. There are 70 Million people who are obese, of which 14 Mil  people are qualified by the insurers to get treatment for morbid obesity, they need to lose 50Lb or more because they have one or more co-morbidities like heart disease,  or hypertension, spine or orthopedic conditions.

If you look at the 14 mil people and provide them with a surgical option with a medical device, and if the cost of the medical device is $8000-$10,000. it translates into a $120Billion + market in the US alone. It is not about just the treatment of the patients who are obese but the direction it is going. Worldwide, the market for surgical treatments is growing. There are few bariatric surgeons and way more patients. In the next 5 years obesity will become the biggest medical device market in the history of medical technology.

This is the time for investors, entrepreneurs and policy makers to come together and provide resources to technology companies creating treatment options for obesity.

US, UK, Australia have prevalence of obesity in epidemic proportions.

Countries like Mexico, Canada, Germany, Italy, Venezuela, Brazil, and Chile are reporting obesity as one of the biggest threats to their health care system.

India and China have Type 2 Diabetes in epidemic proportions. India and China’s metro cities or urban cities are seeing obesity growing at a rate of 14% every year. China’s one child policy has created a generation of kids that are pampered and obese.

This generation of kids is going to be obese in epidemic proportions by the time they are in their twenties. For the first time in the history, this generation of kids will not outlive their parents.