64 per cent of Americans are obese. This is costing the nation a pretty weighty penny. According to the study -- State-Level Estimates of Annual Medical Expenditures Attributable to Obesity , published in the latest issue of the journal Obesity Research -- medical costs to treat sicknesses caused by obesity (including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and gall bladder disease) were a whopping US $75 billion in 2003
Obesity Research, Vol 12, No 1
64 per cent of Americans are obese. This is costing the nation a pretty weighty penny. According to the study -- State-Level Estimates of Annual Medical Expenditures Attributable to Obesity , published in the latest issue of the journal Obesity Research -- medical costs to treat sicknesses caused by obesity (including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and gall bladder disease) were a whopping us $75 billion in 2003. And of this huge doctor's bill, about half (us $39 million) was footed by taxpayers through the Medicare and Medicaid programmes.
The study has evaluated state-by-state expenditures: states spend about one-twentieth of their medical costs on obesity -- from a low of 4 per cent in Arizona to a high of 6.7 per cent in Alaska. California spends the most on health care for the obese, us $7.7 billion, and Wyoming spends the least, us $87 million. The research was done by a nonprofit group called rti International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.