The Financial Burden of Obesity

In this article, the rising costs of obesity are explored as they relate to the entire population of the United States. The article postures that we as a nation bear the brunt of the $150-190 billion a year cost of obesity through higher health insurance premiums and government expense. It can be boiled down to the fact that as our country as a whole gains weight, we pay more and more. How do we reduce the cost of obesity in the United States? A widespread solution to excess weight and obesity is still being explored.

More on this topic from the USATODAY.com Editorial: The fatter the nation is, the more you pay

Our take: Weight loss surgery and medical weight loss programs are two of the most effective ways to lose weight over the long term. The key however is prevention. While we will never fully stamp out obesity, we need to find out how to reduce its impact on our society as a whole. Whether it is through innovative government, corporate or school policies or whether it is incentives from insurance companies, we are all looking forward to the answer that finally “clicks.”