Abstract
The rate of obesity in the United States has been increasing drastically over recent decades. Obesity is defined through the body mass index of an individual, which is equal or greater to 30.0; more than twothirds of the population in the US is currently obese. There is an economic impact on the growing rate of obesity, with one of the main focuses in health care costs. There is a high chance of getting diseases that are linked with obesity (ex: hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and stroke). The annual medical spending for an obese individual can be six times as much as a healthy individual and can increase the overall health care costs by fifty percent. As the rate of obesity continues to escalate, taxes and premiums will increase as well. This is because a great fraction of health care costs for the obese are being paid for by the non-obese to Medicare and insurance premiums. With much research, it is evident that obesity leads to high medical care costs and a negative impact on the economy as a whole.
Faculty Sponsors
Charles Harrington
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-4-2014 1:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2014 5:30 PM
The Medical Care Costs of Obesity
Alvin Sherman Library
The rate of obesity in the United States has been increasing drastically over recent decades. Obesity is defined through the body mass index of an individual, which is equal or greater to 30.0; more than twothirds of the population in the US is currently obese. There is an economic impact on the growing rate of obesity, with one of the main focuses in health care costs. There is a high chance of getting diseases that are linked with obesity (ex: hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and stroke). The annual medical spending for an obese individual can be six times as much as a healthy individual and can increase the overall health care costs by fifty percent. As the rate of obesity continues to escalate, taxes and premiums will increase as well. This is because a great fraction of health care costs for the obese are being paid for by the non-obese to Medicare and insurance premiums. With much research, it is evident that obesity leads to high medical care costs and a negative impact on the economy as a whole.
