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GET A MOVE ON IT! -- NEW PROGRAM HELPS VETERANS

BATTLE THE BULGE

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Get a move on it!

New program helps veterans battle the bulge


By LAURA KIRBY, Gazette Writer

IRON MOUNTAIN — At one point in their lives, they might have been among some of the fittest people of the nation. But in their advancing years, military veterans are among those with the poorest health thanks to excess body fat, officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs are warning.

“Veterans actually have a higher rate of obesity than the general public,” said Deb Bates, a registered nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iron Mountain and coordinator of a new program to help vets beat the bulge.

The MOVE! Program, soon to be introduced at the center’s primary care clinic, was developed by the VA National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and is designed to help veterans lose weight, keep it off and improve their general health, Bates said.

Titled Managing Overweight and/or Obesity for Veterans Everywhere, it’s part of a new “multi-pronged” U.S. veteran initiative for health, prompted by research by the U.S. Surgeon General which shows links between excess weight, disease and psychiatric pathologies.

“Our goal is to provide veterans with the self management skills they need to prevent or delay complications of diabetes, heart disease and obesity,” Bates said.

Specifically tailored to the VA health care setting, the MOVE! Program was piloted at 17 different VA sites between 2003 and 2005, Bates said.

Those taking part in the program will first fill out a questionnaire to help establish current health and their level of desire to get into shape. Their willingness to lose weight, or “readiness to change,” is a key question in the process, Bates explained.

Following this, the MOVE! healthcare team of professionals target food choices, physical activity and general behavior, coaching participants with a set of informational handouts and goals set.

During Level 2 of the program, participants attend weekly group sessions with like-minded vets where team members are on hand to give tips on nutrition, physical activities and lifestyle changes being made, Bates said.

“We work with the veteran to develop goals that are specific, realistic and measurable, and then we build on their successes,” she added.

The program caters to each veteran’s own goals for weight loss and health. For example, some might need to have medication added to Level 2 of the program, or treatment at a residential weight control facility.

“The program is divided into different levels to meet the individual needs of the veteran,” Bates said.

Costs of the program are based on the patient’s status, but a co-pay may be required, Bates said.

The MOVE! Weight Management Program is based on the National Institute of Health (NIH) Identification and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults-Evidence Report (1998) and Practical Guide (2000).

“The VA is a leader in disease prevention and strongly encourages self-management skills for all chronic diseases,” Bates said.

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Larry Scott

(go back to VA Watchdog dot Org Home Page)

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