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Anthony Kagle
Writing-10
Yogita Maharaj
11/28/2014
The Real Cost of Obesity
Many people view obesity as just a word to describe people who are overweight. It is
generally accepted that having approximately thirty percent or higher of body fat constitutes
being obese. However, obesity means much more than that. Right now to America, obesity
means large amounts of money being thrown away every year. Our nation has become
recognized as one of the fattest countries in the world, and the amount of obesity continues to
increase. With obesity comes many diseases and often times death. As a result our nation is
being forced to use a great deal of its monetary resources to pay for the medical bills and health
care costs. With our entire economic future on the line, it is essential to examine the costs of
obesity, its causes, the future consequences our nation might suffer if a drastic change is not put
into effect, arguments, and potential solutions. Our country must eliminate obesity, and the
excessive amounts of money spent as a result of it, to prevent obesity from destroying our
national economy.
It is clear that our nations’ money is spent on obesity issues. Current research suggests
that people who are obese generate higher medical costs than those who are healthy. Most of
this lost capitol is money collected from taxpayers. In addition, obesity is life threatening.
Research has linked it to many fatal diseases, such as; Insulin Resistance, Type 2 diabetes, Heart
Attacks, Strokes, Cancer, Sleep Apnea, High Blood Pressure, and High Cholesterol. All of these
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require very costly treatments. Cdc.gov observed that, “Medical costs for people that are obese
were $1,429 annually higher than people with normal weight.” (Cdc 1) Sharon Begley observes
that, “Money being spent on obesity is now double past estimates and is now exceeding those of
smoking.” (Begley 1) This means that obesity has cost our country more money than the
aftereffects of patients with smoking related diseases. Begley has made it clear in her article that
the money being spent on obesity is excessive and must be dramatically reduced. If America
does not deal with this epidemic our economy is doomed to spiral even further into debt. The
national health expenditure is the amount of money spent on health care. Currently in America a
huge portion of the national health expenditure is spent obesity related issues. Susan Kelley
conducted studies to determine exactly how much of our nations health expenditure is spent on
obese people. The results were ludicrous, “Over one fifth (21%) of the national health
expenditure is spent on obesity.” (Kelley 1) When translated into an actual dollar amount, 21%
of our national health expenditure is the equivalent of approximately $190.2 billion dollars. This
is a very different number than it was a couple decades ago. It has become more and more
apparent that too much of the nations population of youth is obese as well as adults.
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The bar graph above explains the increase of obesity in different age groups over a
certain amount of years. As shown in the bar graph, in the late 1970’s and early 1980 obesity
wasn’t very common. However, during 1988 through 1994 the amount of obesity had increased
quite considerably. By 2002 obesity had skyrocketed in every category. With obesity still
increasing in numbers today, our nation is offered a possible foreshadowing of future challenges.
Source:
"Update." Family Planning Perspectives 31.6 (1999): 262-63. Web.
Many people have looked into the reason behind this trend towards obesity, and have
discovered numerous contributing factors. Among them are two causes for this addressed here.
The first of which is money. It is noted that in low-income residential areas there is a higher
percentage of obese people. This is because now in our country it is generally cheaper and more
convenient to consume unhealthy foods than it is to eat healthy. It costs less to go to McDonald’s
and buy a soda, cheeseburger, and fries, than it is to go to the grocery store and select an
assortment of healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruit. In Merced the estimated cost of a
cheeseburger, large soda, and large fries at McDonald’s is $3.99 plus tax. Whereas a trip to the
grocery store to buy fruits, vegetables, juice and other healthy foods can cost a small fortune to
many families. So low-income families tend to eat what is cheap and fast, rather than what is
healthy. As expected, low-income areas have higher obesity percentages. The second reason is
that a large portion of today’s youth is obese because of the example set by their parents.
Children of obese parents tend to acquire the eating patterns of their family members. Children
usually eat meals with their parents, and develop the same food preferences. This often leads to
family generations of obesity. Eric Pianin and Brianna Ehley found that, “Currently more than
one-third of all adults in the United States are obese. Also, over half of obese people in America
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are children.”(Fiscal 1) They also found a link between obesity and life challenges. Pianin and
Ehley observed that, “developing obesity at a young age is not very financially reassuring.”
(Fiscal 1) What this means is that developing obesity at a young age results in having to
continuously spend money on medical bills, and treatments, along with the basic household
expenses. This makes it very hard for an obese person to acquire and maintain employment, and
support their self along with their family. Maintaining employment as an obese person is very
difficult. Many businesses do not want to have an obese person working for them because obese
people are more susceptible to injury, leaving the company to pay for their liabilities. Without a
steady source of legitimate income, the lack of money leads to a cycle of obesity, health issues,
poverty, begets the next generation, and the cycle repeats at an accelerated pace.
The chart above demonstrates the percentage of obese individuals in low-income areas
versus high-income areas. As shown above, low-income people have a higher percentage of
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attaining obesity as well as a higher percentage of all sicknesses that are highly influenced by
obesity. In each category the low income is higher than both middle and high-income areas.
Source:
"In U.S., Health Disparities Across Incomes Are Wide-Ranging." In U.S., Health Disparities
Across Incomes Are Wide-Ranging. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
Many people ponder about the future of our nation. Depending on what happens in
response to obesity in America, events potentially have numerous possibilities. America hasn’t
always been obese. “Since 1980, the rate of obesity in children and adolescents has almost
tripled.” (Campaign 1) That means that in 1980 America only had one-third of the obese
population we have today. Within the last few decades, the percent of obese people residing in
America has increased tremendously. Harvard University conducted a study that showed, “In
2005 the United States government spent $190 billion on obesity related health care costs.”
(Economic 1) This is a big increase and it has begun to raise awareness by its impact on families
and businesses. Kelley observes that, “Previous estimates had pegged the cost of obesity at $85.7
billion dollars, or 9.1% of national health expenditures.” (Kelley 1).
Without immediate drastic change, the future of America does not look bright. If obesity
continues to increase at its current pace the aftermath will be irreversible. “New data has shown
that if obesity continues to rise at its current rate then by 2018, 43% of American adults in the
United States will be obese.” (Fight 1) That is just 7% shy of half of the adults in America. With
the estimated figures the new national health expenditure will jump from $190.2 billion to a
shocking $344 billion annually. That is one-ninth of our nations’ total annual revenue. Studies
show that overall in the United States, the amount of money that is spent on treatments that were
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the result of obesity is at an all time high and it shows no signs of slowing down. Cdc.gov
discovered that, “In 2008 the annual cost of obesity in the United States was around $147 billion
dollars.” (Cdc 1) Costs have been projected to continue rising.
There are people who do not wish changes in America regarding obesity. Some people
argue that it is not the nation’s business to regulate and individual’s food intake. It is a private
matter. If the government can tell us what to eat, what will the government regulate next? The
Bill Of Rights; “the government cannot issue a law that intervenes in an individual’s life, liberty,
or pursuit of happiness.” (US Const.) Businesses encourage obesity. There are also businesses
that believe the government should not regulate advertisements of their products, because if
unhealthy food is encouraged they make more money. Fast food chains such as McDonald’s do
not feature healthy fruits and vegetables; they feature fatty foods and sugary products. If the
nation suddenly started eating only healthy foods some businesses would have to shut down or
change its services. While those are very accurate and true statements, a person or businesses
choices should not be protected at the expense of the nation. The government pays most medical
and treatment costs through taxpayers, whereas big businesses and individuals pay a smaller
amount. individual Some say big businesses have a right to free trade, untethered by the
government. This includes their right to advertise their product. However, the government has a
right to protect the nation’s financial economy from being exploited by big businesses. Choosing
to be obese without any effort to change is not a basic human right granted by the Constitution if
it is at the cost of the nation’s economy.
Despite the challenges given by those who disagree with any change, there is still hope.
Saving our country from the plague of obesity may seem impossible but it really isn’t. Currently
the obesity crisis in America can be resolved if we put in the effort to make a change. In the past
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our government has used money as an incentive to the population to resolve problems. Providing
the right tools and incentives would be cheaper than the alternative. It can use this method again
to decrease the amount of obesity in America, and overall save our nation vast amounts of
capital. The government could provide tax incentives for reducing and maintaining a healthy
weight. Another viable solution is to require health insurance companies to provide free gym
memberships, and lower premiums for non-obese customers. Also, increasing the medical copays on obese individuals will provide further incentives. The government could fund free
weight clinics so that people will learn how to maintain a healthy life.
Lastly continuing financial aid and treatments does not encourage lifestyle changes. A
more productive plan is to use money incentives such as; tax credits, giving free gym
memberships, increasing medical co-pays, and by making school lunches healthier, we can
eventually make progress in resolving the obesity crisis in America. Another way that we can
extinguish obesity in America is by regulating the advertising and selling of unhealthy foods. By
putting a limit on fast foods or unhealthy items at stores, or by simply banning them or forcing
them to sell healthy and less destructive foods, America can thrive as a healthy populace as it
was meant to do.
Being one of the fattest countries in the world, the United States spends excessive
amounts of money on obesity related health issues. It has come to the point where obesity has
correlated itself to the financial health of our nation. Some people may not think twice about the
meaning and cost of obesity. But, as of today obesity might resolve in the destruction of
America. To America obesity is a growing problem that consumes vast amounts of money, yet
no solution has been made. With our entire economic future on the line, it is essential to examine
the costs of obesity, its history, and the future consequences our nation might suffer if a drastic
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change is not put into effect. By using our resources to provide incentives for obese people to
change their lifestyle, giving free gym memberships to the populace, increasing medical co-pays,
and by regulating unhealthy foods, America can change. Hopefully, one-day obesity will have a
different meaning to America. Obesity will no longer be defined as wasting absurd amounts of
money, but will rather be defined as a time when America was in a crisis and made a national
effort to change in order to save itself.
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Works Cited
"Adult Obesity Facts." Centers for Disease control and Prevention. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 09 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
Begley, Sharon. "As America's Waistline Expands, Costs Soar." Reuters. Thomson
Reuters, 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
"Economic Costs." Obesity Prevention Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
Kelley, Susan. "Obesity Accounts for 21 Percent of U.S. HEALTH CARE COSTS Cornell
Chronicle." Obesity Accounts for 21 Percent of U.S. HEALTH CARE COSTS
Cornell Chronicle. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
Pianin, Eric, and Brianna Ehley. "Budget Busting U.S. Obesity Costs Climb Past $300
Billion a Year." The Fiscal Times. N.p., 19 June 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
"New Data Shows Obesity Costs Will Grow to $344 Billion by 2018."Partnership to
Fight Chronic Disease. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.