Obesity accounts for nearly 10% of all medical spending in the United States

U.S. researchers released information that claims obesity-related diseases are responsible for 9.1% of all medical spending in the United States, or about $147 billion a year. The data is based on information that explains obese people spend 40% more—or about $1,429 per year—on healthcare costs than people of normal weight do. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pointed out that this release highlights how major of an issue obesity is in the U.S. and that dealing with it is an absolutely imperative objective that must be resolved in order to reduce health care costs. They also released 24 new recommendations on how to deal with obesity by encouraging healthier eating habits and more exercise.

Body mass index (BMI) is a standard measurement used to determine weight class, and is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. In the U.S., more than 26% of people are obese, which is defined as having a BMI of 30 or higher. The obesity rate in America rose by 37% between 1998 and 2006, which led to an 89% increase in spending for treatment of obesity-related disorders such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. The percentage of total medical spending since 1998 also rose from 6.5% to its current rate of 9.1%.

Aside from generic health recommendations, the CDC's strategies to reduce obesity also include targeting lower-income neighborhoods in which healthy food is not as readily available as more wealthy areas. They also believe in emphasizing more strongly the importance of becoming more active to Americans that are predominantly sedentary and encouraging all to exercise more. A further suggestion from CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden was placing a tax on soft drinks with the hopes of curbing its consumption, however, the view is not shared by the Obama administration.

-As reported in the July '09 edition Reuters Health Stories

-Summarized by Greg Gargiulo