According to The Los Angeles Times health insurance companies should pay for exercise classes, which would in turn reduce health-care costs, especially among high-risk groups, such as diabetics, says a University of Florida researcher.
In an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Marco Pahor, director of the University of Florida Institute on Aging, says health insurers— particularly federal programs such as Medicare — ought to pay for structured exercise classes because the health benefits and cost-savings outweigh the expense.
“Cumulative work over the past few decades provides solid evidence for public policymakers to consider structured physical activity and exercise programs as worthy of insurance reimbursement,” Pahor said.
A number of studies have linked exercise programs with better health indicators, including blood pressure, lipid levels — such as cholesterol and triglycerides — cardiovascular events, cognition, physical performance, premature death and quality of life.
While the benefits of exercise and weight loss are often reported few are truthful about the loose skin that is often left behind. Dr. O’Toole explains to patients that surgically removing the excess skin is the only effective option for obtaining a more aesthetically pleasing look if there is loose skin after weight loss. The most common procedures include an abdominoplasty to tighten the skin on the stomach. A thigh lift to tighten the skin on the upper legs, and an arm lift to tighten the skin beneath the upper arms. These procedures in most cases would be staged and performed separately.
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