New Reimbursement Provisions a Big Boost for the Diet Industry

As obesity is increasingly being recognized as the underlying cause of many a disease, healthcare plans have changed their approach to the condition, especially folowing a provision within the Affordable Care Act. Insurers are now mandated to cover nutrition and obesity screening for their enrollees.

This has created a tremendous opportunity for diet clinics and resulted in an industry of sorts, which sometimes uses as yet unproven treatments like vitamin injections or dietary supplements that may not have been validated. The lack of attention by mainstream medicine to the problems of overweight or obese patients may have contributed to the burgeoning diet industry, says an article in The New York Times.