I wrote the following article for a column in the New York Times, where I focused solely on the economic impact of obesity.
The Freakonomics column on the New York Times I wrote for has since been moved to the Freakonomics website here: Economic Impact of Obesity
Obesity is a multi-faceted disease fueled by Americans’ poor eating habits, complacency and sedentary lifestyles. While the physical and emotional impact of obesity on a growing number of Americans is glaring, what truly makes obesity an epidemic is the economic impact it has on all of us.
People underestimate the economic effect obesity has on our society. The Center for Disease Control has concluded that illnesses associated with obesity cost the United States $93 billion a year in health care costs. Eric Finkelstein, a health economist at the nonprofit RTI Institute, wrote, “about half of the total cost of obesity-related health care is paid by the government through its Medicare program. For every American citizen, the out-of-pocket tax cost is an average $180.” This dwarfs the $13 billion businesses lose each year from obesity-related medical fees, absenteeism, and decreased productivity (as reported by the National Business Group on Health). Many of these obesity-related business costs are passed down to consumers in the form of more expensive goods and services.
Obesity, like many diseases, has no simple cure that alleviates its negative consequences. The government’s increased involvement and spending on health education, research and obesity programs, combined with our desire as a society to lead a healthier lifestyle, are the driving factors towards finding a solution. The question is, do we invest a lot of time and money fighting obesity now, or pay an even higher price down the road?
4 comments:
That's a good question, especially since this is the same government that won't spend $5 billion on health insurance for kids, but is spending one trillion dollars to build hospitals and other public buildings in Iraq, while killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.
Obesity is definately a huge problem today. Many illnesses are attributed to obesity and as far as the eye can see...obesity is not only here to stay in the US but is set to continue to expand and take over. There are many things, in my opinion, that are at the root cause level as to why so many americans are over-fat or obese.
I think a GREAT primer to understanding many of the issues we face is a book called "FAT LAND". It is a must read if you are in America or interested otherwise.
I host and discuss a website that covers many related issues to this blog at www.hcg-diet-forums.com
be good!
Curt
you have to be careful about this subject though, I'm currently writing an article about obesity and how ignorant the general population is about it, what you are talking about is just a small subject I talk about in it. I was doing research the other day because the presidential candidates are throwing all kinds of numbers around about obesity and according to what I read its very hard to really tell because in reality the obese usually die at a younger age than most people, so they might not cost us more in the long run, I'm still doing research on this subject but I always like to take part in discussions.
Is obesity within our control? This is being discussed at thebigdiscussion.com
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