ZorroCard Round Up (11/18/24)

Hey all,

Happy Monday! A recent study shows obesity rates had not yet reached peak obesity in 2021. Until we’ve made healthy food and anti-obesity medications affordable for Americans this number will keep going up. Enjoy the rundown!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroCard)

Rising Obesity Rates in the USA (The Lancet):

Obesity rates in the USA are climbing rapidly, with 75.9% of adult males and 72.6% of females overweight or obese in 2021, alongside 46.7% of male and 50.8% of female adolescents. By 2050, 213M adults and 43.1M children/adolescents are projected to be affected. Adolescent obesity surged by 158.4% in males and 185.9% in females (1990–2021). Urgent systemic interventions and policy reforms are critical to addressing this escalating health crisis. Full Article.

Why Forward Health Failed (Healthcare Huddle) 

Forward Health, a tech-enabled primary care startup, collapsed despite raising $660 million and introducing AI-driven CarePods, exposing the challenges of tech-first approaches in healthcare. The company struggled with an unsustainable subscription model, overreliance on venture funding, and a failure to address core patient needs like human interaction and trust in care. It also addresses the way Forward shut down with little notice to patients, a frequent problem for VC backed healthcare startups. Full Article.

The Cost of Unnecessary Back Surgeries in U.S. Healthcare (Lown Institute)

Over three years, U.S. hospitals performed more than 200,000 unnecessary back surgeries on Medicare patients, costing the program $2 billion and representing one low-value procedure every eight minutes. Overuse rates varied widely, with spinal fusions/laminectomies and vertebroplasties frequently performed unnecessarily—up to 50% in some hospitals—highlighting significant geographic and institutional disparities. Physicians performing these surgeries also received $64 million in payments from device and drug companies, raising ethical concerns. These findings underscore the urgent need for systemic reforms to reduce low-value care and prioritize evidence-based treatments. Full Article.