Cocoa Pods

Dr Knight Timestamps (00:13) Dr. Michael G Knight (01:27) Why are minority women dying? (05:35) lifestyle interventions alone for obesity? (11:10) Obesity medications (15:25) Safety of obesity medications (17:45) Education in weight management (19:45) Lack of insurance coverage A champion for health equity, Dr. Michael G Knight joins Dr. Bola Sogade for part 2 of this series. Dr. Knight is board certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine. He has served on many boards and committees and currently is the founder and president of the Renewing Health Foundation. In the last episode Dr. Sogade describes other titles he possesses such as associate chief quality and population health officer, head of healthcare delivery transformation, medical director of community primary care at GW Medical Faculty Associates, and assistant professor of medicine at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In this episode these two doctors discuss health inequity in obesity and minority pregnant women. Why are minority women dying during pregnancy? Maternal mortality is health inequity. Dr. Knight explains the root causes of health inequity. The way people receive care, and the way people have access to healthy foods, communities, and environments affect maternal mortality. Obesity and the challenges to receive care for this illness are also discussed in this episode. For a long time, obesity has not been viewed as a chronic illness. Now it is known that lifestyle interventions alone are not enough for all people. There are medical interventions for obesity, but the FDA has been historically slow to adopt the use of obesity medications. Is there a stigma associated with obesity medications? In many cases, these medications are not covered by insurances. At other times, healthcare providers are not prescribing medical treatment due to lack of education surrounding obesity and weight management. Although 45% of adults in the US are candidates for medical treatment of obesity, only 1-2% receive obesity medications. Is it an issue with insurance companies due to the cost of treatment? Dr. Knight explains that the health care industry spends billions of dollars for obesity related health issues. Unfortunately, health care is focused on sick care instead of preventative care. Obesity intervention won’t approve until education is increased. Stay tuned for next week's episode to learn more! #maternalmortality #maternalmortalityprevention #obesity #obesitytreatment #weightmanagment #healthequity #healthcare