Tobacco Settlement Bankrolls Obesity Treatment
July ,17 2006
Geisinger will reap the benefits from two of Pennsylvania's multi-million dollar tobacco settlement grants earmarked for health research.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, in partnership with Geisinger Health System, Lincoln University and the University of Pennsylvania, will receive $4.15 million to create a statewide collaborative research network to develop and test effective treatments for reducing adolescent obesity and related diseases.
In addition, Temple University, in collaboration with Geisinger Medical Center, Bloomsburg University, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and Insight Telehealth, will receive $4.15 million to test an Internet-based telemedicine system designed to help overweight and obese people improve weight loss and insulin sensitivity by using self-monitoring, education, a supervised chat room, bulletin boards and e-mail.
The two grants come as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Law, Act 77 of 2001, which requires that tobacco settlement funds be used to address research priorities.
Six major tobacco companies, including Phillip Morris, have been paying settlement monies to 46 states since 1998. The settlements have since been distributed as medical research grants to hospitals across the country.
Said Department of Health Secretary Dr. Calvin Johnson, "Sixty percent of Pennsylvanians are overweight or obese. But what is of even greater concern is that urban, rural and minority populations are disproportionately affected by obesity and obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoarthritis."
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