Obesity increases health care costs for everyone

[The Straight Story]

Obesity increases health care costs for everyone

May 09, 2009 @ 12:00 AM

The Herald-Dispatch

Among the 50 states, West Virginia ranks fourth from the bottom in the percentage of adults who do get the recommended amount of physical activity. Only 60.6 percent meet the goal of 30 or more minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week or 20 or more minutes of vigorous physical activity three days a week.

A study by researchers at West Virginia University put a price tag on the cost of our inactivity: $1,309,544,068 in 2005. They broke that into three categories: $1,060,383,138 in lost worker productivity; $245,631,484 in medical care and $3,528,446 in workers compensation costs.

The study, published in the May-June issue of the West Virginia Medical Journal, published by the West Virginia State Medical Association, says regular physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease mortality along with preventing hypertension, colon cancer and diabetes. Activity also helps maintain bone, muscle and joint integrity. Also, physical activity can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

...
But until it can be shown that one person's obesity or lack of exercise directly affects the health of another person, attempts to control obesity through government regulation runs into concerns over basic personal freedoms and civil liberties.

That does not, however, mean obesity is strictly an individual problem. The increasing incidence of obesity in West Virginia is driving up health care costs for everyone. It does mean, though, that it will have to be approached in different ways than anti-smoking campaigns are. Government can prohibit the sale of tobacco and alcohol to minors. So far, no one has suggested banning the sale of food and beverages containing high-fructose corn syrup to minors.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/opinions/x1875272703/Obesity-increases-health-care-costs-for-everyone

[bemildred]

1. So does pregnancy.

So do action sports.
So does corporate irresponsibility.
I mean health care increases health care costs for everyone.

[The Straight Story]

3. Yeah, but they need a new group to target and tax, as well as control

smokers down, obese next, then we will deal with pregnant people and folks who have std's (start taxing sex, condoms, promoting abstinence only education...)

[Warpy]

7. Thank you

It might be different if they had a permanent cure for obesity, but they don't.

Even people who have surgery tend to return to obesity within five years of reaching their ideal weight.

Something besides MORALITY is going on.

The sooner they find it, the sooner we'll have a cure.

[AllieB]

2. So does stress.

[The Straight Story]

4. Well, bush put us all under stress for 8 years. He should be banned

:)

[bemildred]

5. Good point, we got a boatload of "health care costs" out of his wars. nt

[Believing Is Art]

6. This is in the Herald-Dispatch?

Wow, Huntington isn't really well-known for its slim folks . . .