Obesity too Expensive for States to be Left Untreated

BOSTON, MASS - January 20, 2004 - A new study by RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in this month's edition of Obesity Research details the financial burdens placed on state medical programs as a result of the obesity epidemic. According to NAASO President and Editor-in-Chief of Obesity Research, Barbara Corkey, PhD, "The findings demonstrate that we can no longer afford not to treat obesity as we would other conditions that lead to life-threatening illnesses such as high cholesterol and blood pressure."

Obesity increased dramatically during the late 1990's for Americans of all ages, with nearly one-third of all adults - nearly 59 million people - now classified as obese. This represents a nearly a two-fold increase in the number of obese Americans in the last two decades. Obesity can significantly increase a person's risk for a number of serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. Obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) >30 kg/mē.

According to Gary Foster, PhD, University of Pennsylvania and chair of NAASO's Public Affairs Committee, "The bad news is that immediately following this epidemic of obesity is an epidemic of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and some forms of cancer. The costs reflected in this paper are just the tip of the iceberg." This paper provides the first state-by-state estimates of total, Medicaid and Medicare obesity-attributable medical expenses. State level estimates range from $87 million (Wyoming) to $7.7 billion (California).

However, many studies have shown that modest weight loss, of as little as 5 percent of initial body weight, can improve many of the medical complications associated with obesity. "Slowing or reducing the epidemic of overweight and obesity could go a long way toward reducing medical costs," said Foster.

Recent research has shown that obesity is a chronic disorder caused by a complex interaction of genetic, metabolic, behavioral, psychological and environmental (social and cultural) factors. Yet, many people mistakenly believe that curing overweight and obesity is simply a matter of individual will power.

"As scientists and physicians, we know it is much more complicated than simply telling the entire country to get off the couch," said Corkey. However, despite the health consequences and costs associated with obesity, the United States has traditionally put far more resources into learning about other much less prevalent diseases. "We need to know more about how obesity leads to other life-threatening diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. We need to know more about how to prevent overweight and obesity. And, we need to start reimbursing for the medical treatment of obesity."

The research presented will assist policy makers in determining how best to allocate funding to help reduce obesity.

"Health insurers have been so concerned about the costs of treating obesity, they haven't paid attention to the cost of not treating obesity," added Foster. "This paper shows that it is time to change."

About Obesity Research

Obesity Research, the official Journal of The North American Association for the Study of Obesity, is published monthly. Obesity Research is the premier peer-reviewed scientific journal for basic and patient-oriented research in obesity and related fields.

About NAASO

The North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) is the leading scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity. NAASO is committed to encouraging research on the causes, treatment and prevention of obesity as well as to keeping the scientific community and public informed of new advances in the field. For more information about NAASO and obesity, visit www.naaso.org and www.obesityresearch.org, or call (301) 563-6526.