A new study which I’ve recently heard about states that the obesity epidemic (and it is an epidemic) is costing the US economy $147 billion dollars in health spendings. You may be shocked to read this (as was I) but that’s what the study shows. You see, obesity isn’t just about health, it also affects your pocket.
Obese people pay, on average, $1,429 more annually on health bills than people of normal weight. As you can see, this is a lot of money for any hard working person. I can only imagine what this can mean to a family in which more than one member is obese.
But apart from the personal strain, it seems that obesity has become a national issue, one which any American should take into consideration. If we could cut the obesity rate in the US by half, there would be over $70 billion to spend on other, important causes.
For now, it seems that the tide is against us. Data shows that over 25% of the US population is obese (which means that it has a Body Mass index of over 30). You can calculate your BMI here: Body Mass Index Calculator. This is a frightening figure all by itself, but the trend is even more frightening: from 1998 to 2006, obesity rose by 37% in the US and related health spending for various diseases such as diabetes rose by 89%!!!
This has got to stop and it’s time for our society to deal with it and not leave this for families and individuals. It starts with education at schools and for adults as well. The thing we need to remember is that prevention will cost much less than treatment. It’s time to get the word out about what obesity means and also make sure that our elected officials do something about this.
I don’t have data for other countries but I imagine that what is true for the US is also true for may European countries and other developed societies. The future looks bleak but the challenge to turn society into a more healthy, educated one, is a challenge we can meet and succeed in.
