Lexington, KY - This article is a bit of a deviation from my norm. I usually stay away from numbers and statistics and give you more of my opinion about certain aspects of fitness and wellness. This month I want to stick with the facts. The topic, the cost of obesity, is serious and I do not want you to confuse facts with my opinion. I think knowing these facts is important for all of us, especially considering the ongoing health care debate. We all need to be aware of how much this disease is affecting the financial health of our country, as well as the physical health of its citizens.
Obesity, we know it's a problem. Fact: Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity can contribute to or aggravate many chronic diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
We know that (no pun intended) obesity is a growing problem. Fact: During the past 20 years, obesity rates among adults have risen significantly in the United States. In 2005 -
2006, data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that 34 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older -
over 72 million people -
are obese.
We know that the cost of medical problems related to obesity are significant and a burden on our healthcare system. Fact: Among children and adolescents, annual hospital costs related to obesity were $127 million during 1997 -
1999, up from $35 million during 1979 -
1981. In 2000, the total cost of obesity in the United States was estimated to be $117 billion, $61 billion for direct medical costs and $56 billion for indirect costs.
The scary thing is that those are not the most recent statistics. The latest numbers are even worse. Data released just last month, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and published in the journal Health Affairs, show just how bad the problem is.
This new data released from these studies was focused on determining the actual cost of obesity, both individually and as a nation. The results were staggering: