The heavy cost of obesity

What you can do to make health care more affordable

Obesity is an epidemic and has become one of the most important health problems facing Americans. The prevalence of obesity has increased substantially over the past two decades. From the years 1999 to 2000, an estimated 31 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older—nearly 59 million people—were obese, which is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more.

Research shows that obesity increases the risk of developing a number of health conditions including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery and heart disease, colon cancer, osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnea. As a result, overweight and obesity and their associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system. According to a study of national costs attributed to both overweight and obesity, medical expenses accounted for 9.1 percent of total U.S. medical expenditures in 1998 and may have reached as high as $78.5 billion ($92.6 billion in 2002 dollars).

Tightening the belt on obesity

What can you do about the obesity epidemic and its associated health care costs? If you are overweight or obese, there are positive steps you can take now towards achieving a healthy weight. For starters, you can add moderate amounts of physical activity five or more times a week. That uses 150 calories of energy on each day of activity, which can be equivalent to a 10-pound loss in one year. Reduce your calorie intake by 150 calories a day, and you can double your weight loss to about 20 pounds in one year. It’s also important to keep an eye on what you are consuming, and try to avoid foods and beverages that are high in sugar, fat and calories. Also, develop a support system and tell family and friends about your weight loss goals.

By choosing physical activities you can stick with, using moderation in your approach to nutrition and gathering support from others, you can take weight off successfully. And that means your loss is everyone’s gain, with reduced risk of chronic diseases, and lower health care costs that go with them.

Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

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