Analysis.
American society has become characterized by environments that promote physical inactivity and increased consumption of less healthy food. Consequently, obesity and its following chronic diseases are unavoidable impacts. As the steady increase of overweight in United States, a huge amount of healthcare resources are absorbed. It is vital to better understand the economic impact and to identify and promote public health strategies to tackle obesity.
Currently, excess weight along its linked diseases including diabetes, hypertension and cancer deaths has risen considerably: 25.8 Americans has been diagnosed with diabetes while this number was only 7.8 million twenty years ago, 75% high blood pressure associated with obesity and approximately one-third of cancer deaths are linked to overweigh. It is uncontroversial that obesity control means savings for healthcare system: fewer doctor visits, tests, drugs, hospital services. According to the journal, The New York Academy of Medicine and TFAH estimated that the America could save more than $16 billion annually within five years by investing $10 per person so as to improve physical activities, nutrition and smoking prohibition. This number is completely impressive to demonstrate the waste resulted from obesity.
There are 3 main reasons explaining why containing obesity-related healthcare costs is essential. Firstly, this health issue brings higher healthcare costs for adults and children. Compared with normal-weight-adult patients, the emergency room costs for patients presenting with chest pains is more 22% higher for overweight patients, 28% higher for obese patients and 41% higher for severely obese patients. For children, total annual private insurance child health care expenses are $1,108 for a normal-weight child while these are $3,743 for an obese child. It is alarming that the obesity related hospitalization costs for children and youths were $237.
