http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24436444-3102,00.html
A PROPOSAL to give Medicare rebates to overweight people who go to Weight Watchers could save the Federal Government millions, it's been claimed.
On Wednesday, Queensland Health's population health branch head Linda Selvey urged the Commonwealth to recognise obesity as a chronic disease and even allow Medicare rebates for commercial weight-loss programs.
Public Health Association of Australia chief executive officer Michael Moore yesterday backed the idea, arguing the costs of providing Medicare rebates for Weight Watchers would be more than repaid in health-care savings.
"Obesity is a major factor in diabetes, stroke, heart attack and a range of other chronic illnesses that are very expensive for us to treat," he said.
"Everything we can do to prevent chronic illness needs to be taken seriously. For government, this would be a money-saver in the long term."
In a written submission to federal parliament's obesity inquiry, Queensland Health estimated that if every overweight and obese Australian lost 5kg, that would save $44 million just in treatment costs for type 2 diabetes.
The director of the University of Sydney's Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise, Ian Caterson, yesterday supported that assessment.
"If you get to people just before developing (obesity-related) disease or just with developing disease and help them to lose weight, you can save a lot of money," Professor Caterson said.
The proposal also drew public support yesterday from a group of neighbours from Parkinson on Brisbane's southside, who were weighing in for the State Government's fat-buster competition.
Spokeswoman Noela Lopatich said weight-loss programs could be expensive and the government should help out with the costs.
"If it's going to improve someone's health and someone's paying for that, surely something should come back to them because at least they are doing something to stop the problem of over-crowding the hospitals down the track," she said.
But Dietitians Association of Australia executive director Claire Hewat joined the AMA in dismissing the idea.
"Medicare really is about funding health professional (consultations)," she said. "I think it could get very messy if we start turning it into a pay-for-everything system."
