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The annual healthcare costs of obesity in this country are $147
billion a year. This could rise to as much as $344 billion by 2018,
according to one major study.
- Obesity has become one of the most expensive health problems in
America today, surpassing smoking, according to a study in Health
Affairs.
- Two-thirds of Americans are overweight although 85% of Americans
characterize their lifestyle as somewhat/very healthy.
- Obese employee sick days total approximately 39 million workdays and
63 million doctor visits yearly.
- 12 million Americans are considered severely obese, defined as more
than 100 pounds overweight.
- Diet books consistently rank as some of the hottest best sellers.
There are also over 100 unregulated over-the-counter diet pills on the
market and celebrities line up to pitch an assortment of diet products.
All of this amounts to a nearly $60 billion weight loss industry.
- Employers have a big stake in getting their workforce to lose weight
and reduce the enormous costs in medical claims and lost productivity
linked to obesity. Recent studies have shown an impressive return on
investment for every dollar spent on prevention and wellness programs.
- Johnson & Johnson's CEO Bill Weldon confirmed his company saved
$20 million in 7 years by implementing employee wellness program.
- Nearly a third of the children in this country are overweight and
some experts believe up to one third of children will suffer from
diabetes at some point in their lifetime.
- For the first time in the history of our nation, some medical
experts warn that this younger generation may be on track to have a
shorter life span than their parents as a direct result of the obesity
epidemic.
- From CNBC "One Nation Overweight"
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