Most people know that obesity exacts a high price in terms of personal health, putting them at much greater risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, stroke, depression and a host of other medical issues. What is often less understood is that obesity also carries a hefty financial price tag that takes a serious toll on the economy.
Health-Care Costs of Obesity
As a nation, we pay a high price for obesity. Obesity-related medical costs now total about $168 billion annually—nearly 17 percent of all U.S. medical expenses—according to research published in 2010 by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization.
That expense puts an extra strain on many businesses as they struggle to provide health benefits for their employees, creating an economic ripple effect that undermines both profits and productivity.
How Obesity Costs Businesses
The price of obesity hits businesses in many ways, not just health-care costs. In April 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard announced a new estimate of average passenger weight [effective December 1, 2011], the standard that determines how many people ferries and charter boats can have on board at any one time.
The previous estimate, set in the 1960s, estimated average passenger weight at 160 pounds. The new estimate decrees the average passenger now weighs 185 pounds. In practical terms, that means ferries or charter boats that were allowed to carry 100 passengers under the old estimate are now limited to 86 passengers per trip—a 14-percent capacity reduction at a time when fuel costs and other operating expenses are on the rise.
The Obesity Epidemic
More than half of all Americans are considered overweight and about 27 percent are obese, according to recent research.
Seniors are hardly immune. An obesity report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2010 showed that adults age 40-59 have the highest percentage of obesity (31.6 percent) of any age group while 27 percent of adults age 60 and over are obese. Those numbers seem to grow worse each year.
If you're seeing a bigger number on your bathroom scale these days, or finding it hard to fit into your favorite jeans, cut back on calories and do more exercise to bring down your weight. The result will be good for your health and the economy.