LETTER: Congress must pass Treat and Reduce Obesity Act

Published 8:25 am Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Passing major legislation during campaign season is often as elusive as sunny winter days in Portland.

However, conditions are ripe for Congress to defy this inertia by passing the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA).

This crucial bill would reverse two decades of Medicare policy that banned coverage of anti-obesity medications (AOM) and therapies, which only reinforced the stigma of obesity while allowing diagnoses of this chronic disease to surge to unsustainable levels.

While patient safety is paramount, there is a moral imperative to help seniors access healthier futures and save lives.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist, now retired, I focused on understanding patients’ holistic needs and implementing strategies to improve health and avoid disease whenever possible.

Sadly, advocacy for this overdue policy change has followed me into retirement. However, I remain optimistic about improving the health outcomes of seniors suffering from obesity and related chronic diseases.

GLP-1 medications are game changers, but they are by no means sufficient. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act will ensure all seniors have access to evidenced-based comprehensive care provided by registered dietitian nutritionists and other competent providers.

Medicare recognized that treatment works, but millions remain excluded, worsening health inequities for people of color and low-income seniors.

With TROA advancing in the House, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, can help lead Senate passage.

The consensus of medical providers and patient advocates has long been clear: health policy must align with the science to ensure equitable care. Congress must act.

Nancy Becker, Northeast Portland