PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE OF OBESITY AND BUDGET IMPACT OF THE MOVE! WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN US VETERANS
Author(s)
Onur Baser, MA, MS, PhD1, Katarzyna Rodchenko, MA, MPH2, Precious Nchekwube, MPH2, Nehir Yapar, BS2, Shuangrui Chen, MS2, Jialu He, MPH2;
1City University of New York (CUNY), Graduate School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA, 2Columbia Data Analytics, New York, NY, USA
1City University of New York (CUNY), Graduate School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA, 2Columbia Data Analytics, New York, NY, USA
OBJECTIVES: MOVE! (The Weight Management Program for Veterans) is a national multidisciplinary behavioral program intended to prevent weight gain and promote sustained weight loss. Trends in obesity and overweight diagnosis among US veterans and the effectiveness and budget impact of MOVE! across body mass index and comorbidity subgroups were evaluated.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was employed using the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) dataset (2008-2023). Veterans were categorized as obese, overweight without weight‑related comorbidities, and moderately overweight with weight‑related comorbidities, and further stratified by MOVE! participation. Patients prescribed anti‑obesity medications were excluded. Propensity score matching (PSM) balanced demographic and clinical characteristics between participants and non‑participants within each subgroup. Outcomes included prevalence, incidence, and risk‑adjusted 1‑, 2‑, and 3‑year weight change. Risk‑adjusted annual cost differences for MOVE! vs non‑MOVE! groups were estimated in 2023 US dollars.
RESULTS: From 2008 to 2023, obesity prevalence rose from 17.79% to 39.85%, overweight without comorbidities from 5.69% to 24.57%, and moderately overweight with comorbidities from 9.65% to 14.52%. In 2023, incidence of obesity was 3.89%, overweight without comorbidities was 2.28%, and moderately overweight with comorbidities was 1.43%. Risk‑adjusted 1‑year weight change (MOVE! vs non‑MOVE!) was −3.42 vs −2.30 pounds for obese, −0.55 vs +0.72 for overweight without comorbidities, and −0.24 vs +0.23 for moderately overweight with comorbidities. Differences narrowed at the 2-year mark but continued to favor MOVE! in the obese and overweight‑only groups; 3‑year differences were small and mostly non‑significant. Risk‑adjusted incremental annual costs were ~$8.0 billion for obese, $0.62 billion for overweight without comorbidities, and $0.35 billion for moderately overweight patients with comorbidities (total $8.97 billion).
CONCLUSIONS: The MOVE! program yielded modest short‑term, yet limited sustained weight loss, excess‑weight prevalence and related costs remained high, suggesting a need to redesign weight‑management strategies for veterans.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was employed using the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) dataset (2008-2023). Veterans were categorized as obese, overweight without weight‑related comorbidities, and moderately overweight with weight‑related comorbidities, and further stratified by MOVE! participation. Patients prescribed anti‑obesity medications were excluded. Propensity score matching (PSM) balanced demographic and clinical characteristics between participants and non‑participants within each subgroup. Outcomes included prevalence, incidence, and risk‑adjusted 1‑, 2‑, and 3‑year weight change. Risk‑adjusted annual cost differences for MOVE! vs non‑MOVE! groups were estimated in 2023 US dollars.
RESULTS: From 2008 to 2023, obesity prevalence rose from 17.79% to 39.85%, overweight without comorbidities from 5.69% to 24.57%, and moderately overweight with comorbidities from 9.65% to 14.52%. In 2023, incidence of obesity was 3.89%, overweight without comorbidities was 2.28%, and moderately overweight with comorbidities was 1.43%. Risk‑adjusted 1‑year weight change (MOVE! vs non‑MOVE!) was −3.42 vs −2.30 pounds for obese, −0.55 vs +0.72 for overweight without comorbidities, and −0.24 vs +0.23 for moderately overweight with comorbidities. Differences narrowed at the 2-year mark but continued to favor MOVE! in the obese and overweight‑only groups; 3‑year differences were small and mostly non‑significant. Risk‑adjusted incremental annual costs were ~$8.0 billion for obese, $0.62 billion for overweight without comorbidities, and $0.35 billion for moderately overweight patients with comorbidities (total $8.97 billion).
CONCLUSIONS: The MOVE! program yielded modest short‑term, yet limited sustained weight loss, excess‑weight prevalence and related costs remained high, suggesting a need to redesign weight‑management strategies for veterans.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
EPH143
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Public Health
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity)