Community Partnerships to End Obesity Disparities
DASH-NY Coalition Conference
Michelle S. Davis
Regional Health Administrator
U. S. Department of Health & Human Services
Friday, March 23, 2013
TOPICS
 HHS
Overview
 Health Disparities and Obesity
 Obesity and the ACA
 Selected HHS Programs and Initiatives
 Resources
Secretary of Health
Kathleen Sebelius
Office of the U.S. Surgeon General
Regina M. Benjamin, MD
 Serves as the Nation’s Doctor
 Leads the National Prevention, Promotion
and Public Health Council
 Oversees US PHS Commissioned Corps & the
Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve
Corps
Assistant Secretary for Health
Howard Koh, MD, MPH
Office of the Regional Health Administrator
Michelle S. Davis
 Serves as the Senior Federal Public Health
Official and Scientist in the Region
 Performs essential functions around
Prevention, Preparedness, & Agency-Wide
Coordination and Collaboration
 Supports the work of the Department and
the individual federal agencies
Health Disparities
Communities of Color Are Disproportionately Affected
What Is a Health Disparity?
Healthy People 2020 defines a health
disparity as……
“a particular type of health difference that
is closely linked with social, economic,
and/or environmental disadvantage.”
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Economic Consequences of
Health Disparities
•
The combined costs of health inequalities and
premature death in the U.S. were $1.24 trillion between
2003 and 2006.
•
Eliminating health disparities among minorities would
have reduced direct medical care expenditures by
$229.4 billion for the years 2003-2006.
•
Between 2003-2006, 30.6% of direct medical care
expenditures for African Americans, Asians and
Hispanics were excess costs due to health inequalities.
Source: The Economic Burden of Health Inequalities in the United States. Joint Center for Political and
Economic Studies. http://www.jointcenter.org/research/the-economic-burden-of-health-inequalities-in-theunited-states
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Prevalence* of Self-Reported Obesity Among U.S. Adults
BRFSS, 2011
*Prevalence reflects BRFSS methodological changes in 2011, and these estimates should not be compared to
previous years.
15%–<20%
20%–<25%
25%–<30%
Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC.
30%–<35%
≥35%
What is Obesity?
Obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index
(BMI) of 30.0 or greater.
Obesity is a chronic physical condition
characterized by too much body fat, which
results in higher risk for health problems
such as high blood pressure, high blood
cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and
stroke.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
New York Age-Adjusted Percentage of Adults Aged 18 Years and Older
who Were Obese* by Race/Ethnicity and Income Categories, 2007-2009
Rate adjusted to the 2000 U.S. population.
* Obesity among adults is defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30. (BMI is calculated by dividing
weight in pounds by height in inches squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703.)
** Data do not meet reporting requirements
Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, New York State Minority Health Surveillance Report
Obesity and Hispanic Americans

Among Mexican American women, 78 percent are overweight or
obese, as compared to only 60.3 percent of the non-Hispanic White
women.

In 2010, Hispanic Americans were 1.2 times as likely to be obese
than Non-Hispanic Whites.

In 2009 - 2010 Mexican American children were 1.6 times more
likely to be overweight as Non- Hispanic White Children.

From 2007-2010, Mexican American women were 40% more likely
to be overweight, as compared to Non-Hispanic Whites.
http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov,
http://www.cdc.gov
Obesity and African Americans

In 2008, 44 percent of African Americans were obese, compared to
33 percent of whites.

Nearly 50 percent of African American women were obese,
compared to 33 percent of white women.

African American adults are less likely to be diagnosed with
coronary disease, but are more likely to die from heart disease.

African American adults are 1.5 times more likely to have high blood
pressure than Non-Hispanic Whites.
http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov,
http://www.cdc.gov
Social Determinants of Health
http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=39
http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/
HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial
and Ethnic Health Disparities
Vision
“ A Nation free of disparities in health and
health care.”
Goals
I.
Transform Health Care
II.
Strengthen the Nation’s Health and
Human Services Infrastructure and
Workforce
III.
Advance the Health, Safety, and WellBeing of the American People
IV.
Advance Scientific Knowledge and
Innovation
V.
Increase Efficiency, Transparency, and
Accountability of HHS Programs
http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov
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The Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act is
...and is a Real Opportunity for the
Publics’ Health
The Affordable Care Act Includes Prevention
Services which address the Obesity Epidemic

Counseling from your doctor and other health professionals to
promote sustained weight loss, including dietary counseling from
your doctor.
 Blood pressure screening.
 Counseling on the use of daily aspirin to reduce the risk of a stroke
 Tests to screen for high cholesterol and diabetes
 Behavioral counseling
 Height, Weight and Body Mass Index measurements
 Dyslipidemia screening
America’s Move to Raise a
Healthier Generation of Kids
Healthier
Food in
Schools
Creating a
healthy start
for children
Access to
Healthy and
Affordable
Food
This isn't about inches and
pounds or how our kids look,
it's about how our kids feel
and how they feel about
themselves.
Empowering
parents and
caregivers
Increasing
Physical
Activity
http://www.letsmove.gov
Michelle Obama
We Can! is a national education program –
developed by the National Institutes of
Health and designed to give parents,
caregivers, and communities a way to help
children 8 to 13 years old prevent
overweight and obesity, and
maintain a healthy weight
http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Surgeon General’s “Vision for a Healthy and
Fit Nation” , 2010 (www.surgeongeneral.gov)

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators,
“Hispanic Obesity: An American Crisis”, 2010

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
(www.usda.gov )

President's Council on Fitness,
Sports & Nutrition (www.fitness.gov )
Reversing the obesity epidemic is a shared
responsibility. Social and environmental changes are
influenced by the efforts of many…
Contact Information
Michelle S. Davis
Regional Health Administrator
Region II (NJ, NY, PR, USVI)
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
26 Federal Plaza, Suite 3835
New York, New York 10278
Phone: 212-264-2560 ♦ Fax: 212-264-3620
E-mail: michelle.davis@hhs.gov
Website: www.hhs.gov
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