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Obesity costs us 93b year { May 14 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/5855363.htm http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/5855363.htm Posted on Wed, May. 14, 2003 Obesity Reported to Cost U.S. $93B a Year LAURA MECKLER Associated Press WASHINGTON - Obesity is costing not only American lives, but dollars too. A study tallies that $93 billion per year goes to treat health problems of people who are overweight. About half that tab is picked up by the government through Medicare, which provides care to the elderly, and Medicaid, which serves the poor. Overall, spending attributed to excessive weight made up 9 percent of all medical spending in 1998, researchers reported Wednesday on the Web site of the journal Health Affairs. They arrived at the figure by comparing the medical expenses of adults who are not overweight with the expenses of those similar in most ways but who were overweight or obese . The difference in spending on people who are overweight and those of normal weight were, for the most part, not statistically significant by themselves. But major differences appeared for those who were obese: The average increase in spending over a person of normal weight was $732 per year - 37.4 percent more. Altogether, medical spending attributable to extra weight totaled $78.5 billion in 1998, or $92.6 billion in 2002, inflation-adjusted dollars. The financial burden now rivals that attributable to smoking, the authors say, arguing that government and health insurance companies should offer incentives to help people lose weight. "Although some insurers subsidize memberships to health clubs to promote physical activity, most do not include incentives to encourage weight loss," wrote authors Eric Finkelstein and Ian Fiebelkorn of RTI International in North Carolina and Guijing Wang of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The study examined a representative sample of 9,867 adults ages 19 and older, with data from the 1998 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the 1996 and 1997 National Health Interview Surveys. The research was paid for by the CDC. Weight was assessed using body-mass index, a height-to-weight ratio. People with a BMI of 30 or above are considered obese; those between 25 and 30 are considered overweight. Someone who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall who weighs 150 pounds would have a BMI of 25. At a weight of 180 pounds, this person's BMI would be 30. --- On the Net: Health Affairs: http://www.healthaffairs.org.

2 million kids at risk for diabetes from obesity { November 7 2005 } 31 states record increases in adult obesity { July 2006 } 90 percent of american men will be obese Ads target kids for junk food Air conditioning making us fat Americans fat Artificial sweeteners cause weight gain { January 2008 } Artificial sweeteners cause weight gain Atkins diet clogged mans arteries { May 27 2004 } Atkins diet studies { May 22 2003 } Bill blocks obesity lawsuits Brit prince warns not to get fat like americans { January 27 2006 } Britain teens face obesity infertility { December 9 2003 } British children choking on their own fat Changing human shape { September 9 2002 } Child obesity lowers life expectancy below adults { April 27 2005 } Coke pepsi risks diabetes weight gain { August 25 2004 } Companies make food addictive Early years vital for curbing obesity { May 20 2005 } Eating fat not fattening { September 22 2003 } Extreme obesity ballooning in adults Fat americans weighing airline profits down Fat at 20 cuts 20 Fat at 40 shortens life Fat epidemic 6 year olds Fat kids prone to future health problems Fat teens get stomach operation { August 5 2003 } Fat tissue increases risk of cancer { October 23 2006 } Fatter cats dogs are sizeable problem Fitness more important than weight loss { September 8 2004 } Food pyramind might change shape Food subsudies make a population fat { April 22 2007 } French eat less Girls who feel unpopular may gain weight { January 7 2008 } Heart disease not genetic High fat atkins diet confounds experts { May 22 2003 } Icecream vendor tells fat kid he eats too much { May 11 2005 } Judge throws out obesity suit { September 4 2003 } Junk food adverts banished during UK children television Kids suffer blood pressure rises { May 4 2004 } Live longer by eating less study suggests Living in cities makes you skinny { February 20 2007 } Mcdonalds ceo dies of health problems Mcdonalds fat { April 19 2002 } Medicare to cover obesity { July 16 2004 } More kids on cholesterol drugs { October 29 2007 } New us diet less calories { September 10 2003 } Nfl slim chance fighting obesity Obese kids unhappy as with cancer Obese people face higher insurance { April 7 2004 } Obesity an epidemic in us Obesity biggest risk to kids says poll { March 31 2004 } Obesity causes brain atrophy in women Obesity close to smoking as leading cause of death { March 11 2004 } Obesity costs us 75b yearly { January 22 2004 } Obesity costs us 93b year { May 14 2003 } Obesity down in sugar free schools Obesity in kids will save social security Obesity increases death of breast cancer Obesity linked cancer Obesity linked with colon cancer Obesity may trigger asthma { July 14 2006 } Obesity passing tobacco as leading preventable cause of death Obesity policy bill { August 10 2003 } Obesity rate is nearly 25 percent { August 24 2005 } Obesity top health problem in us { October 28 2003 } One in four britons are fat Over eating more common than under eating Overweight higher risk alzheimers { July 14 2003 } Parents urged to fight childhood obesity { July 29 2004 } People arent trying lose weight Risk syndrome overweight teens { August 12 2003 } Small town fights child obesity with diet and excercise { May 16 2007 } Soda a day boosts weight gain { August 25 2004 } Soda consumption linked to childhood obesity Starve yourself to live longer { April 20 2004 } Strict parenting leads link to fat kids { June 5 2006 } Study links sprawl to fat { August 29 2003 } Television for kids encourages over eating { March 29 2007 } Temper tantrum kids have obesity problems { July 9 2004 } Thin people may have unhealthy internal fat { May 10 2007 } Toboacco company defends obesity { April 27 2005 } Truth about fat cats dogs Vitamin e linked to higher death rates WHO anti obesity stretegy attacked by sugar industry { May 20 2004 } Files Listed: 85

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