The CPAM files a complaint against an association fighting against obesity
The Association Obésité Handicap in Nice was the subject of several complaints filed in December 2013, including that of the CPAM with the Public Prosecutor of Nice. The members of this association would have been cheated, having never benefited from the services for which they had nevertheless joined. As for the CPAM, it is claiming reimbursement of a substantial subsidy due to the association’s inability to present a balance sheet.
The president of the association, a former obese person herself and trained sommelier, had created the Obésité handicap association to help people suffering from disabling overweight. The program was adapted to the needs: support sessions with a psychologist or a sophrologist, follow-up and culinary lessons with a dietician, physical exercises supervised by a sports coach, meetings with other members. The amount of membership was high (350 or 360 €, depending on the source), but the benefits promised deserved it.
Success is then quick. With 130 members today in Nice, the association has opened other branches in Lyon, Paris, Bordeaux and even Sens. The consistent program is the same each time. The CPAM even ended up taking an interest in the project. In the Alpes-Maritimes, the Caisse Primaire de l’Assurance Maladie has even allocated a subsidy of €60,000 to Obésité handicap.
But the benefits are not there. Today, most members find that they have not met anyone, neither a sports coach, nor a dietitian, nor even the other members. As for the interviews, it happened that they were not the subject of any report, even though they were also promised to the members.
In 2012, the association received nearly 300,000 euros;. But these sums were immediately sent to the various companies managed by the president of the association. The Union of Associations in Nice had access to the accounts of Obésité handicap. She found that accounts were constantly overdrawn and contractors and suppliers were not being paid. The absence of a balance sheet makes it impossible to know the exact destination of the missing money. Today, the Nice headquarters of the association is closed, and its site is “under restructuring”.
The president of the CPAM of the Alpes-Maritimes has therefore filed a complaint for “breach of trust” and claims reimbursement of the subsidy paid because the Nice association is ” unable to present all the documents in order to justify good use of public funds. France 3 also contacted the president of the association, who denied the facts and announced that she was preparing a response.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.