In the United States, $117 billion dollars a year is spent on medical conditions caused by obesity and being overweight. That's more than 9 percent of all U.S. health costs. It's also comparable to the medical costs from smoking-related diseases.
The costs for being overweight will likely go higher and exceed smoking costs. That's because overweight people tend to live longer than lifelong smokers. On average, your medical costs will be about $400 more a year if you are overweight. And if you are over 65, the costs will be higher yet.
Numbers on the Rise
Over the last 20 years, the rates of obesity and being overweight in the United States have soared astronomically. About 65 percent of all U.S. adults today are overweight. About 30 percent of those are obese. Today, 16 percent of children are obese – a number that has doubled in the last 20 years.
"We know that obesity and overweight are big health threats," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "People who are obese have a higher rate of diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney failure, and arthritis. And they're at increased risk for colon cancer, post-menopausal breast cancer, gall bladder cancer, and uterine cancer.
"They also have sleep disturbances and breathing problems." Dr. Gerberding continued, "Another very scary concern for children is increased type 2 diabetes. It used to be known as adult onset diabetes. But it is now increasingly being diagnosed in children. In addition to their being overweight, many children also have high blood pressure and lipid abnormalities. All of these factors increase their risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke when they become adults."
According to Dr. Gerberding, obesity is also linked to problems with pregnancy, premature birth, learning disabilities, and infant health problems.
What You Can Do
In general, the heavier a person is, the greater the medical care costs will be. Just like smoking, being overweight is a problem that can be successfully treated. And, like being a smoker, being overweight or obese is not easy to change. Gaining weight is much easier to do than losing it. For many people, beginning an active lifestyle is difficult. And people like to eat what they've always eaten, whether or not it is in their best interest.
If your body mass index (BMI) is greater than 25.0 you are, by definition, overweight. If it is over 30.0 you are obese. If you are overweight or obese, now is the time to get help. |
