Weighty Issues

There's no question about it. America has a weight problem, and there are no signs that the population will change its ways and trim down anytime in the near future.

Over the past two decades, this country has seen a doubling of obesity in adults, a tripling of obesity in adolescents and a quadrupling of morbid obesity, says Dr. Kevin Huffman, a bariatric physician with more than 20 years of clinical experience in obesity management and bariatric advisor for Gendron.

“It's growing exponentially, and the most rapid growth is in the segment of the morbidly obese (those who are more than 100 pounds over their body weight),” he notes.

According to Joe Chesna, national sales director of standard power for Pride Mobility Products, 32 percent of men and 28 percent of women age 60 or older are obese. “Manufacturers are continuing to look at this as a growing market segment and incorporating more bariatric models into their core products,” Chesna says.

“Unfortunately, the statistics show that our population is getting larger in size, and that makes this a growth market opportunity,” adds Sue Jotblad, marketing manager for Sunrise Medical. “A plus for providers is that there are a number of manufacturers providing products in this category now, which has made product pricing very competitive.”

Further, bariatric patients typically require more products at higher price points than the average patient, she explains. A single patient may require several pieces of equipment, such as a bariatric bed, wheelchair, shower chair or toilet and respiratory equipment.

“You've got good funding on these product lines,” says DuWayne Kramer, president of Leisure-Lift. “Even with competitive bidding, bariatrics is going to be a profitable line.”

Understand Special Needs

Providers that wish to be successful in this sector need to do more than just randomly sell a few bariatric items, however. They must understand the market and have a game plan, advises Jotblad.

“Serving the bariatric market is a niche business,” she says. “To be a leader in this market, it must be a conscious business decision.”

One place to start is understanding what bariatric patients need. According to Huffman, some of the special needs for this population that HME providers should be aware of include: