A collaboration to help Virginians lead healthier lives
By Christopher J. Mullins
The challenges facing Virginia’s health care system are bigger than any one company, individual or organization can solve on its own.
Take, for instance, diabetes and obesity, two serious health issues facing Virginia. According to United Health Foundation’s 2012 America’s health rankings released in December, Virginia has higher rates of diabetes and obesity compared to most other states. Almost 650,000 Virginia adults have diabetes, and more than 1.8 million adults are obese.
In Roanoke County, nearly 27 percent of adults age 20 or older are obese, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Environment Atlas. Further, nearly 11 percent of adults age 20 or older have diabetes.
Mullins is executive director of UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic in Reston and a member of the Virginia Center for Health Innovation’s Demonstration Project Advisory Group.
March 14, 2013 - 6:16 AM
Chris…why not get us to exercise more and eat less? That will reduce the problems of obesity and diabetes. Offer me some $$ to loose weight or pay for my Weight Watcher meals.