23 Advocacy Groups Call on Women in Congress to Prioritize Obesity as a Women’s Health Issue

In honor of Women’s Health Month, the EveryBODY Covered campaign, convened by the Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention, and 22 additional organizations sent a letter to members of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus urging them to advance access to obesity care for women by supporting the passage of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). Below are key excerpts from the letter. 

 Obesity is a women’s health issue: 

“There is a critical nexus between obesity and women’s health. Women carry an undue burden when it comes to obesity: 

• 1 in 3 American women are impacted by the disease, including 57% of Black women and 44% of Hispanic women. 
• The disease is also associated with over 200 other health complications, including many that specifically affect women throughout their lives, such as breast and ovarian cancers as well as fertility and maternal health challenges. 
• Women with obesity are also more likely to face harmful social stigma and discrimination. For example, women affected by obesity earn less money and are less likely to get promoted at work than their colleagues who do not have obesity.” 

TROA is a critical step that is needed to better support women over 65 living with obesity:  

• “Medicare does not cover medications when used to address obesity. Ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries have access to the full range of evidence-based options for treating this disease is a matter of fairness. We wouldn’t allow Medicare to place this type of restriction on care for other chronic diseases like cancer or heart disease. So why are we letting this happen for obesity?” 
• “Passing TROA would ensure Medicare beneficiaries are able to access comprehensive obesity care by expanding the type of healthcare professionals who can deliver intensive behavioral therapy under Medicare Part B and providing Medicare Part D coverage for approved obesity medications.” 
• “This critical moment to improve the health of women in our families and communities—our mothers, sisters and daughters alike. If we hope to make progress in women’s health, we must forge a path toward a nation where every woman can thrive, unencumbered by the physical and mental burdens of obesity.” 

Read the full letter. 

Individual advocates can join these organizations in raising their voices in support of TROA: 

• Use our new online tool to send a letter to your Congressional representatives asking for their support of this important legislation. 
• Share your story with the EveryBODY Covered campaign to help advocate for better obesity care coverage.