The Expensive Medical Costs Accrued Due to Obesity

There is no doubt that obesity results in higher medical costs for otherwise healthy people. From diabetes to heart disease, obesity increases a person’s risk factors for a multitude of disorders and diseases. Studies show that the annual healthcare cost of obesity in the United States has doubled in less than a decade and is quite possibly as high as 147 BILLION dollars per year. Recent research has found that:

1. In 1998, the medical costs of obesity in the US were approximately 78.5 billion dollars per year. Half of these costs were financed by Medicare and Medicaid, which are government health insurance programs for seniors and low-income families.
2. The occurrence of obesity in the United States has increased by 37% between 1998 and 2006.

3. The rise in obesity occurrences has added over 40 billion dollars to the annual healthcare cost in America.

4. For 2008, the annual healthcare cost of obesity was approximately 147 billion dollars.

5. 9.1% of annual healthcare costs are related to obesity; they only accounted for 6.5% in 1998.

6. Obesity will increase a healthy person’s medical costs by 42%.

7. The increased medical costs equal approximately $1,429 per year. The costs for an obese person on Medicare are even higher.

8. The additional Medicare costs for an obese person typically result from the added prescription drug benegits.

9. Medicare prescription drug payments for obese patients amount to approximately $600 per year more than for people at a healthy weight.

10. 8.5% of Medicare expenses are due to obesity-related costs. 11.8% of Medicaid expenses and 12.9% of private insurance expenses are due to obesity-related costs.

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index, or BMI, of higher than 30. The body mass index is really a ration of a person’s weight to their height. There are many popular “cures” for obesity, including gastric surgery and “miracle” drugs; however, these treatments having positive results are extremely rare. The medical costs that are related to obesity are almost completely a result of costs related to treating the diseases that obesity encourages, including diabetes. As long as obesity remains a healthcare issue at the forefront, it will continue to be a serious burden.

The Center for Disease Control recommends 24 strategies for battling obesity, including promoting the availability of healthy food, encouraging breastfeeding of newborn infants, promoting exercise and physical activity in children and young people, creating supportive communities in which people feel safe and welcome to exercise and engage in physical activity, and helping these communities get organized to promote healthy change.

Ultimately, it is up to each individual to make healthier choices, but this kind of change does not come easily. Sometimes the behaviors that lead to obesity are difficult to change, and often obese people do not have the resources or knowledge to make healthier choices. Support is key. If the country spent more up-front to prevent obesity, we would all pay less in the long run in terms of controlling it.

If you are trying to improve your health, you may find that healthy eating habits are important… but they are hard to implement long term! Visit my website for more detailed information about how you can create small, easy habits on a daily basis which will bring about positive health changes: http://EverydayHealthGirl.com

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