Obesity Accounts for Greatest Jump in Healthcare Costs

Obesity Accounts for Greatest Jump in Healthcare Costs: 

Healthcare spending on obese patients in the U.S. has ballooned, growing more than 80% over a five-year period. Spending on the heaviest members of the population rose to $303.1 billion in 2006 from $166.7 billion in 2001 — an 82% increase. That figure compares with a 36% increase in total expenditures for patients who were merely overweight and a 25% increase for normal-weight patients. The increase in spending on healthcare for overweight and obese Americans tracks the general rise in obesity in the U.S., as the number of obese jumped to 58.9 million from 48.2 million over the study period. Obese adults were associated with over half of the growth in healthcare spending between 2001 and 2006.  The average annual healthcare expenditure for the obese population increased to $5,148 from $3,458 over five years and jumped to $3,636 from $2,792 for the overweight population. Normal-weight patients spent an average of $3,315 in 2006 compared with from $2,607 in 2001.   Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality.