Medicare to pay for obesity counseling.

Americans aren't as active as we used to be & studies say 63% of Americans are obese or overweight.  As a health care professional and an individual interested in staying as healthy as possible, I find this a sad and shocking statistic!! It is a known fact that obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and these are some of the most complex, expensive disease processes to treat. I see so many patients who have contributed to their health problems by making poor choices. And, as a tax-payer, I find that very frustrating. We need to be good stewards of out resources. So many people aren't either because of ignorance or indifference.  We need to be educated about the choices that we make regarding our health and wellness.  And we should be held accountable for the choices that we make. I can see that the keys to breaking the obesity cycle are prevention and education. I've wondered why our government hasn't taken a more proactive stand. So, I was delighted when I found out that Medicare will now pay for obesity screening and behavioral counseling.  See the full article below for more details.  I believe this is a step in the right direction. I would prefer my tax dollars be spent on prevention and I hope that those eligible for the benefit will take advantage of it. What are your thoughts?? 

http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/1130/medicare-will-pay-for-obesity-counseling.aspx?xid=tw_weightloss_20111201_news