Obese People Spend $1,500 More on Healthcare Every Year
I guess it's like Texas, everything is bigger when you're obese. The extra $1,500 is 41% more than an average-weight person spends each year.
In total, the yearly cost of obesity in the United States is $147 billion, or 9% of all medical expenses. And, it figures to get worse now that the average American is 23 pounds overweight.
The higher price tag extends to all areas of medical spending, including prescription drugs and Medicare.
According to research published in the journal Health Affairs, the average American dishes out $3,400 on medical expenditures every year, but that number jumps to $4,870 if the person is obese.
And Medicare takes a major hit. The cost of obesity is 72% higher for prescription drugs. An obese person can expect to pay $1,400 more on medications than a normal-weight individual.
Experts cite the over-consumption of soda for the boom in obesity. They believe a soda tax will help cut the consumption of soda, and the revenue raised can be used to curb the obesity epidemic.
Here's a tip for investors: despite the economic depression, obesity is a blue chip stock--not the kind you eat with guacamole.
Via HealthDay News.
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I'm "obese". I never drink soda, eat fast food, or any of the other nice stereotypes they like to attribute to obese people. I haven't had any medical bills for 15 years beyond yearly check-ups and a car wreck. I exercise daily.
ReplyI see thin people eating fast food and drinking soda. I know thin people that never exercise. Is their health ever questioned?
The nation is being distracted by this new "obesity epidemic" when really it should just be health epidemic, period. PEOPLE are unhealthier than they've ever been, not just obese people. They are just the easy target.
The government is trying to get more taxes from people and using this as a tool. If they cared so much about the health of people, why don't they focus on the quality of our food? The chemicals and hormones that are allowed to go into our foods that are affecting our health? So much easier to sucker us all into paying more taxes? A fat tax? lol that is so insane that people would even buy into that.
So let me get this straight... you never eat fast food, drink soda AND you exercise daily, yet are obese? Something's wrong with this picture and/or certain facts were left out. No doubt.
ReplyOk it's jerks like you that she/he are talking to. Yes people can eat non junk food and exercise and still be obese. Avacodos are healthy, nuts are healthy but they're still calorie dense. Eat enough of any food including vegetables and fruits and you will get fat. Granted it's hard to do on those food but it is possible.
ReplyWell, even though I believe one can definitely be fat and fit, there ARE lots of ailments that are primarily caused by obesity that may not show up until you're older. My mother-in-law is obese, has type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a thyroid condition. She has about 10 different prescriptions; one or two of which she gets directly from the pharmaceutical company because she can't afford them. She has a CPAP machine and also has had knee surgery a few times. She's had to spend extra money on shoes, a special bed, etc. I don't know how much of her medical expenses could have been avoided if she were a healthy weight, but I do know that my father-in-law (her husband) maintains an active lifestyle and healthy weight and is on no medications and only visits the doctor yearly for what he calls his "preventative maintenance"...PSA exams, colonoscopy, etc. And he's 5 or 6 years older than my MIL. Genes could have something to do with it, but I do think that maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight can help prevent a lot of diseases in old age.
I will also add that my MIL was not "unhealthy" when she was young; she was obese but she didn't really have health issues until she hit about 45. I think a lot of people think "Oh, I'm fine, I'm obese and have no other health problems" which may be true if you're 25 but may not hold true when you hit 40.
ReplyObesity definitely leads to health issues. It is a major cause of concern. There is so much info out there & we can try & try BUT you can't make anyone lose weight. They have to want to do it themselves. I know people that have been diagnosed with all kinds of stuff but they continue to do the same things that caused it in the first place.
ReplyI wonder if the study at hand accounted for the money SAVED by premature death of obese people?
If a sedentary person weighing 350 pounds dies of a heart attack at age 53, there won't be any additional medical expenses as seen by the average person who lives to be 80.
ReplyThis is crazy....Although I do think soda is a problem, it certainly isn't the only issue! People today are inactive. Did you know that 78% of American's in the workforce are sedentary. Meaning they get little to no activity. That's crazy! We need to get people off the couch. American's have become lazy. I recently saw on the news, one company that was offering online guided workouts for 99 cents a month just to help activate people during the tough economical times I think they were called make it fit. Good for them! We need more of these ideas - ways to get our community more active!
ReplySo you're saying obesity is an issue the entire public has to treat communally? You're saying regardless of how much and what amount of obese people there are, the rest of the public should get taxed equally to fray the cost of treatment? You're placing obesity on par with diseases like AIDS? Yes, I'm sure there are people who are genuinely trying their hardest but are genetically obese, but there are a lot who simply do not try. Should the money for their treatment come out of Joe's pocket if Joe works hard to maintain his own healthy lifestyle? Can we honestly remove every single fast-food restaurant or junk food item in existence? No! There will always be unhealthy options, and it is one's individual responsibility that should drive him or her to make a healthier lifestyle, and thus, get taxed less. If you don't put in the effort, naturally prices should go up.
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=2663
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