The skinny on obesity: It costs US $270B a year

By RITA DELFINER

Overweight and obesity are weighing on the US economy -- costing a big, fat $270 billion every year.

So says the Society of Actuaries in a study, released yesterday, analyzing the "increased need for medical care and loss of economic productivity resulting from excess mortality and disability."

"Just shows . . . obesity has a real impact on our economy," said co-author Don Behan, whose study crunched numbers from 500 research articles.

The estimated tab:

* For medical care caused by overweight and obesity is $115 billion.

* For productivity lost to excess mortality is $45 billion.

* For productivity lost to disability for active workers is $40 billion.

* For productivity lost to overweight or obesity for totally disabled workers is $65 billion.

The annual cost to Canada? A relatively reed-thin $30 billion, the study found.

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by B' Spokes

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