HEALTH CARE FACT SHEET

Eating Responsibly

Issue statement

Being overweight or obese, and its associated health problems, costs almost $120 billion in health care expenses each year, and is a major contributor to the rising cost of health care. Each of us has the power to help keep health care affordable by making healthier lifestyle choices – beginning with the quantity and quality of the food we eat.

Key facts, national statistics

  • In 1999, 61 percent of adults in the U.S. were overweight or obese; this contrasts with the late 1970s, when an estimated 47 percent of adults were overweight or obese. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity,” 2001.)
  • Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. A BMI of 30 in most cases means an individual is about 30 pounds overweight. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity,” 2001.)
  • The epidemic of overweight and obese Americans is not limited to adults – the number of young people who are overweight has almost doubled in the last 20 years for children aged 6-11 and almost tripled for adolescents aged 12-19. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity,” 2001.)
  • In 1995, health care costs attributed to obesity amounted to an estimated $99 billion. In 2000, that number rose to $117 billion, an increase of 18 percent. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity,” 2001.)
  • Weight control can have a positive impact on the management of chronic diseases like diabetes. The total costs for treating diabetes are nearly $100 billion a year. The average health care cost for a person with diabetes in 1997 was $10,071, compared with $2,699 for a person without diabetes. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “National Diabetes Fact Sheet: General Information and National Estimates on Diabetes in the United States,” 2000.)

Statements from key facts

  • Talk with your doctor to devise a balanced diet that is rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Eating responsibly will help prevent the onset of chronic health problems, which in turn can help control the increase in health care expenditures.

Editorial copy

A balanced diet – watching what you eat and how much – can not only help you feel better, but also can help prevent or manage diseases and illnesses that cost all of us in the long run. Unhealthy changes in lifestyle and diet have led to epidemic numbers of overweight and obese Americans – and we’re paying for it. Today, more than 60 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Health problems associated with being overweight or obese cost almost $120 billion in health care expenses each year, and are major contributors to the rising cost of health care.

The obesity epidemic is not limited to adults. According to recent studies, the number of young people who are overweight has almost doubled in the last 20 years for children aged 6-11 and almost tripled for adolescents aged 12-19.

We all have a role to play in keeping health care affordable. Taking steps to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight will not only dramatically improve personal health, but will also help keep health care affordable for all Americans.

Medical costs continue to rise as we continue to use more health care – and we’re all paying for it through higher insurance payments, copayments and deductibles. So talk with your doctor to find a diet that’s right for you. It will keep you healthier, which in turn can help control the rising cost of health care. Visit for more information about keeping health care affordable.

Marketing tie-ins

  • National Cholesterol Education Awareness Month: September
  • 5-a-Day for Better Health Week: September 21-27, 2003
  • Healthy Weight Week: January
  • American Heart Month: February
  • National Nutrition Month: March

Links to other existing programs and sources

Centers for Disease Control:

U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

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