CAMBRIDGE, MA – As Massachusetts faces rising healthcare costs driven by sharp increases in costly, preventable chronic illnesses, the New England Healthcare Institute and the Boston Foundation have released new research highlighting the “vital importance” of improving wellness in the commonwealth.

“Healthy People in a Healthy Economy: A Blueprint for Action in Massachusetts” concludes that a large-scale campaign promoting health and fitness across every sector of the economy is necessary to address the public health and economic tolls of preventable chronic disease.

The report was released at a forum at the Boston Foundation moderated by Carole Simpson of Emerson College and featuring David Cutler, professor of applied economics at the Harvard Kennedy School; Ruth Ellen Fitch, president and CEO of The Dimock Center; Ranch Kimball, president and CEO of Joslin Diabetes Center; and Bruno Nardone, national leader for state and local healthcare at IBM.

A recent American Heart Association survey showed that more than half of the respondents said the economy is affecting their ability to take care of their health needs, while one quarter had cancelled their gym memberships and 40 percent were eating less healthy meals.
 
“These recession-related repercussions could not come at a worse time in the state’s battle against rising healthcare costs and preventable chronic disease,” said Valerie Fleishman, executive director of the NEHI. “Through unhealthy behaviors, people are becoming unnecessarily ill at a time when we can least afford it.”
 
More than 50 percent of Massachusetts' residents are overweight or obese, conditions which fuel chronic illnesses such as hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. Diabetes alone has skyrocketed by 40 percent in a decade, and the cumulative toll of chronic illness on the Massachusetts economy is estimated at $34 billion.
 
“Healthy People in a Healthy Economy” addresses the unhealthy behaviors fueling chronic disease by recommending a wide-reaching campaign to promote wellness and fitness, building on the initial progress made through the state’s “Mass in Motion” campaign.

The blueprint recommends a coordinated effort from schools, municipalities, state government, payers, employers, the food industry, physicians, philanthropies, the media and opinion leaders.
 
“As a center of innovation, greater Boston and Massachusetts can lead the way in shifting the focus – not only in our region, but across the nation – from healthcare to health,” said Paul Grogan, president and CEO of the Boston Foundation.

The report suggests that a statewide culture shift to promote wellness could reduce the burden of chronic disease and create more affordable healthcare.