What obesity is costing Americans - new report from CDC

A study released last week from the CDC finds that the annual medical costs of obesity now reach $147 billion!!! Not only do these costs represent over 9 percent of total US medical costs, but this share has been rapidly increasing. The study shows that obese people, on average, spent 42 percent more for medical care than people within a healthy weight category. And these are just the medical costs - not captured in the study are potential losses in quality of life and productivity attributable to obesity. Numerous studies have identified income as a key risk factor for obesity, especially among children, and the costs outlined in this report emphasize the ways in which poverty and obesity may be locked in a cycle of negative synergy. 

CDC has recommended community strategies to prevent obesity in a separate MMRW report also released in late July. Highlighted strategies include availability of nutritious foods and building walkability in urban design, particularly for school-age children. Programs at the NYC Dept. of Health and PlaNYC have us on the right track, but clearly the impacts of this epidemic are widespread and the disparities it exacerbates will have myriad consequences.

For more analysis, see an interview with former FDA Commissioner David Kessler on the CDC report and his book "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite," which looks at the food industry's manipulation of eating habits and desires through both advertising and chemistry.

More statistics and national trends of obesity and overweight from CDC highlight research, data and prevention programs.