Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

The cost of obesity: $175

This has been a frequent subject of my posts, and today I saw that a study (to be published Friday...medical journals are such teases) in Obesity Research actually puts a price tag on what obesity costs taxpayers.

The Associated Press reports

The public pays about $39 billion a year -- or about $175 per person -- for obesity through Medicare and Medicaid programs, which cover sicknesses caused by obesity including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and gallbladder disease.

Now...thin, fit people can get "type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and gallbladder disease," but the connections between obesity and disease are well established. I'll be interested to read the full report to see the methodology of the data collection. But even if costs related to treating some otherwise fit diabetics slipped in, this estimate only covers Medicare and Medicaid. There are still increased health insurance premiums, increased disability claims, and decreased productivity.