Dr. Lam Author of
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Obesity Increases Medical Bills
According to a study done by government scientists, Americans who are 30 lbs. over a healthy weight cost the country around $147 million in weight-related medical bills in 2008, twice the amount in 1998. 9.1% of all medical spending is based on obesity, an increase from 6.5% in 1998. An obese patient has an average of $4,871 in medical bills a year compared to $3,442 for a healthy weighted patient.
Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Experts say it is also a major cause for increase in health care costs. More than 72 million, around 34%, American adults were obese in 2006. About two-thirds of people in this country are overweight or obese.
An average American is 23 pounds overweight and collectively 4.6 billion pounds overweight. This obvious problem could be solved if healthy diets and nutrition is emphasized. Changes should be made in all environments to confront this obesity problem.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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