Obesity
Image: hsph.harvard.edu
Well-versed in all aspects of employee benefit plans, Joseph DiBella has significant experience in business areas that range from data analytics and underwriting to labor negotiations and health and wellness design. Since 2005, Joseph DiBella has served as managing director of the health and benefits practice at Conner, Strong & Buckelew, where he has authored articles that address the impact of smoking, diabetes, and obesity on the workplace.
Obesity is a chronic disease that involves excessive fat tissue known as adipose. One of the most prevalent medical conditions in the United States, obesity can lead to many other health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension that dramatically increase healthcare utilization and related costs. Currently, the disease affects one third of adults in the United States and causes more than 100,000 deaths annually.
Obesity is measured and diagnosed in two primary ways. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement of a person’s weight (in kilograms or pounds) divided by their height (in inches or meters squared). However, BMI can be inaccurate as it does not factor in other characteristics like muscle mass or a pregnancy. In these cases, waist circumference can be used to measure abdominal fat content. Women with a measurement over 35 inches and men measuring more than 40 inches can be deemed at risk for developing obesity.
Joseph DiBella's Blog 