EAGAN, Minn. (January 15, 2010) – “This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released online a study on obesity and weight gain that suggests obesity rates may be leveling off. While that’s good news, we can’t start celebrating yet, as nearly two-thirds of adult Minnesotans – 2.4 million people – are either overweight or obese,” said Marc Manley, MD, Chief Prevention Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross). This problem rivals tobacco use and it’s taking a drastic human and economic toll on all of us.”

“We know if you carry more fat than your body was designed to handle, it opens the door to a host of chronic diseases and conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. These conditions negatively affect your quality of life, but ultimately can cut years off your life,” Manley continued. “Obesity is costly, too. As another CDC report attests, obesity is a main driver of rising health care costs equaling 10 percent of the U.S. health care budget, or $147 billion – and we’re all paying the price. In fact, a 2008 Blue Cross report found that in Minnesota, if we do nothing to address the problem, obesity will add nearly $1 billion this year to Minnesota’s total health care costs, and by 2020 the average cost to treat obese Minnesotans will be 61 percent more than for a healthy weight person. This will result in $3.7 billion more in costs.”

Manley concluded, “Blue Cross has made tackling obesity a major priority. That’s why we offer creative initiatives such as our do campaign which encourages people to move more and eat better, sponsor a public bicycle-sharing program coming this summer to make it easier for Minnesotans to be active in their daily lives, fund numerous community projects that improve access to healthy foods in schools and help make communities more walkable and bikeable, work with employers to support the health of their employees, cover nutrition counseling and offer fitness discounts and other products that encourage and incent members to improve their health. I urge others around the state to join with us to wage a full-court-press on obesity and ensure our kids face a healthy future.”

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota’s first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.7 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to www.bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Each BlueCross and Blue Shield plan is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Media contacts:
Karen Lyons
Phone: (651) 662-1415

Pam Lux
Phone: (651) 662-3959