Abby Powers
Econ A2
Mr. Reuter
May 13, 2014
Livin’ Large?
All over America there are people who are overweight and becoming obese. Currently one third of the adults in the U.S are obese, that’s over 35 percent. Yet this is not including being overweight in general, as that percentage jumps to about 69% which is more than half than half the country. Obesity exacts a tremendous price on overweight individuals, leading to serious chronic health conditions, disability, and psychological suffering. Society-wide, the economic burden of obesity is similarly substantial, calling for urgent preventive action from health insurers, businesses, government and other stakeholders.
This predicament really affects the person greatly, as it is quite costly. According to the Harvard School of Public health, “per capita medical spending for obese individuals was an additional $1,429 (42 percent higher) compared to individuals of normal weight…and that per capita medical spending was $2,741 higher for obese individuals than for individuals who were not obese—a 150 percent increase.” Is the extra money really worth it? Now it’s understandable for those who were born with medical problems that make them obese, but for those who became exceedingly overweight need to rethink their path in life. You would have to spend money on pills – pills for curbing a person’s appetite, for lowering their blood pressure, medications for one’s diabetes, for blocking the amount of fat one would intake, etc. Even spending money to go to the gym to lose weight or in more extreme measures, getting surgery would be costly. Overall the indirect and direct effects of obesity on economic costs are annually over $100 billion and that amount is still expected to grow.
The externalities really do outweigh any benefits one could find in staying obese. The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity talks how being obese affects your job, saying that ”Given the significant financial burden imposed by obesity, employers have a stake in reducing obesity in the workforce. Obese workers miss more days of work and cost employers more in medical and disability claims as well as workers compensation claims. As a result, an average firm with 1,000 employees faces $285,000 per year in extra costs associated with obesity. In addition to the costs of obesity to businesses, obese employees are subject to significant discrimination in the workplace due to weight stigma.” With these extras that are needed, not many employers are willing to hire someone that is going to miss more work days or cost them more money with having increased claims.
Yet it is now being instilled in us to stay healthy. Awareness has increased on staying on track of one’s weight, watching their diet, eating healthy, and exercising. It’s promoted in TV shows like Dr. Oz, in commercials, and in our school health classes. Even with the famous show Biggest Loser, weight loss and a healthy life style is being projected. So how is it, with all this promoting, the U.S is still having problems with being overweight or obese?
With this trend of weight gain, over half of this country’s future generation is going to be spending more money on medication like those for diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Not only that, but with the increase probability with strokes, medical bills are going to rise exponentially. Where we spend and put our money is a problem that needs to be addressed. It shouldn’t be overly spent on medical bills, medications, liposuction, but on goods and services that will benefit our economy. Most companies wouldn’t want to splurge a little more on some employees than others. Taking care of yourself would not only benefit yourself and your future but also the future of America’s economy.
"Diet Pills, Prescription Weight Loss Drugs, Appetite Suppressants." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 13 May 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/weight-loss-prescription-weight-loss-medicine>.
"Economic Costs." Obesity Prevention Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014. <http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/economic/>.
"World of DTC Marketing.com." World of DTC Marketingcom. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014. <http://worldofdtcmarketing.com/prescription-drugs-take-too-much-blame-for-healthcare-costs/cost-of-healthcare-in-the-u-s/attachment/cost-of-obesity/>.
It is really eye opening to see how many topics/issues that are seemingly irrelevant to the economy can actually benefit / negatively impact it. Obesity is not only a problem in the US, but it is rising globally. I think that we could definitely implement more awareness on obesity than we do, because I believe that people still need to be taught about moderation, how to eat correctly, etc. It should be enough for obese people to take a stand and make a change in their lifestyle so they can save money for themselves, but clearly they don't realize how they are impacting our economy. After reading this, it is clear that obese people are starting to weigh down our economy (no pun intended), so I hope that lifestyles can slowly start to change in order to keep us afloat.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic. I know people who are over weight, or obese. They have much higher medical bills, but they also have much higher bills for food, whether its from the grocery store or fast food/restaurants. I think more of the problem lies with the society more than the people themselves. Putting aside people born with conditions, its less about people over eating and more about the food that is accessible to them. Places like McDonald's are everywhere and they are cheap, but the places that have food that's actually good for you is expensive and harder to find.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to me how people can become that fat. Today's society is becoming so divided from the super health freaks to the obese people. There is very little room in the middle for a middle class for say. Also I think we have to put most of the blame of are larger weight on it being except able to be that fat. People use excuses of being big boned or genetics but I have never seen that put another hamburger into there hands. Also normally it is really expensive to get healthy food. This was a interesting writing topic though.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to see how much obese and overweight people pay for medical bills and such. This is a problem that is rising globally. Although some people do have medical reasons for why they are obese, like thyroid problems. People have no reason to keep eating unhealthy food if they don't have a medical reason. Yes, fast food is cheaper but it is so bad for you that I'd rather buy normal healthy groceries because now you can see how much you spend if you are overweight. This is really effecting the economy in a bad way. Although doctors and fast food places are making more out of it.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to examine not only the health related affects of obesity, but also the economic affects. A negative externality of these unhealthy life choices is that heath care will have to increase. These people will need more drugs and care in order keep them alive. However, some countries like Denmark have implemented an excise tax on unhealthy foods. Not only does this decrease the demand for these unhealthy foods, but additionally, it increases the revenue for those who are still willing to buy them. This increase in price discourages users to continue the unhealthy trends and sets them up for a healthier life—less medical bills, less drug costs, longer, life expectancies.
ReplyDelete