Obesity-related healthcare and loss of productivity at work costs the United States and Canada $300 billion a year, reveals a new study.
The United States accounts for the lion-share of the money at $270 billion. Canada spends $30 billion
According the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2005 1.6 billion adults, ages 15 and older, were overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese, especially in developed countries.
The research, conducted by the Society of Actuaries (SOA), breaks down the near $300 billion figure: the United States and Canada spend $127 billion on obesity-related medical care; $49 billion in loss of worker productivity due to higher rates of death; $43 billion in loss of productivity due to worker disability; and $72 billion in total worker disability.
The SOA compiled its findings from research published between January 1980 and June 2009. A SOA spokesperson said the increasing rate of obesity has an "extraordinary" economic cost, and calls for employers and insurance companies to take an active role in helping people make healthy decisions.
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and up; below 30 is considered overweight.
Additionally, the SOA conducted an online survey of 1,000 adults, finding that 83% of participants would adopt a healthy lifestyle program if they were given incentives from their health insurance.
In the United States, obesity varies from state to state. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pegs Mississippi as the fattest state; 34.4% of its population is obese. Colorado is the slimmest with 18.6%.
Image credit: Kyle May
