IHRSA Report

Greetings!

University of Chicago researchers report in the December issue of Diabetes Care, that in the next 25 years, the number of Americans living with diabetes will nearly double, increasing from 23.7 million in 2009 to 44.1 million in 2034; thereby overburdening the health care system.

Over the same period, spending on diabetes will almost triple, rising from $113 billion to $336 billion, even with no increase in the prevalence of obesity.

The number of individuals with diabetes covered by Medicare will rise from 8.2 million to 14.6 million, the researchers predict. Medicare spending on diabetes will jump from $45 billion to $171 billion.

‘If we don’t change our diet and exercise habits or find new, more effective and less expensive ways to prevent and treat diabetes, we will find ourselves in a lot of trouble as a population,’ said the study’s lead author Elbert Huang, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.

Regards,

Joe Moore
President & CEO, IHRSA

Speak Out for Club Memberships in Health Care Reform

Now that all the relevant Congressional Committees have introduced health care reform bills, the real debate starts.

For the health club industry, this is a critical moment. Having legislation included that will encourage people to exercise at health clubs will not only demonstrate the role that the industry plays in keeping America healthy but it will also help to bring more people through your clubs’ door.