About Obesity

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the developed world. Obesity-related comorbid conditions include diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, some cancers, and sleep apnea among others.

The economic costs of obesity are formidable. Annual costs in the U.S. are estimated at over $122.9 billion: $64.1 billion in direct costs and $58.8 billion in indirect costs according to one study .1 Medical expenses attributed to both overweight and obesity accounted for 9.1% of total U.S. medical expenditures.2 Indirect costs to society include injuries, disability, absenteeism from work and other causes of decreased productivity.

Resources about Obesity:

World Health Organization
The International Association for the Study of Obesity
The Obesity Society
Obesity in America

References
1 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity: The Economic Costs." http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm. Accessed: December 2004.
2 Finkelstein, EA, Fiebelkorn, IC, Wang, G. National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: How much, and who's paying? Health Affairs 2003;W3;219-226.