Investing in Obesity Treatment: Kaiser Permanente's Approach to Chronic Disease Management

Abstract

Kaiser Permanente, an integrated health care delivery system in the USA, takes a "whole systems" approach to the chronic disease of obesity that begins with efforts to prevent it by modifying the environment in communities and schools. Aggressive case-finding and substantial investment in intensive lifestyle modification programs target individuals at high risk of diabetes and other weight-related conditions. Kaiser Permanente regions are increasingly standardizing their approach when patients with obesity require treatment intensification using medically supervised diets, prescription medication to treat obesity, or weight loss surgery.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Community health services, diabetes mellitus, type 2/prevention and control; Obesity/drug therapy; Obesity/prevention and control; Obesity/therapy.