Shedding Pounds and Expenses

The obvious benefits to losing weight and eating nutritious foods are an improved health and longer life.

But there are financial perks to shedding pounds as well.

Prescription drugs, doctor visits, hospital stays: their associated costs stack up if you’re overweight and more so if you’re obese.

For those who struggle with obesity, the biggest financial hit doesn’t come from medical expenses. It’s from lost wages. And it affects women much more than men, according to a study from the University of George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services.

Just how much?

Women lose about $4,900 every year from lost wages and medical costs. Men lose about $2,650 annually.

The report also notes that it costs more for someone who’s obese to pay for their clothing, food and life insurance premiums compared to someone of normal weight.

Roughly two-thirds of the adults population in the United States is either overweight or obese. More than 72 million adults in the United States are considered obese – falling on the Body Mass Index at 30 or higher. Health officials say half of the country’s adult population could qualify as obese by the year 2030 if health trends continue.

Source: University of George Washington, School of Public Health and Health Services

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