CDC Estimates Medical Cost of Obesity

The cost of treating obesity nationwide is much higher than I thought. The Centers for Disease Control released a study that says, "Overall, persons who are obese spent $1,429 (42 percent) more for medical care in 2006 than did normal weight people."

That's not "someday money", like the increased life expectancy estimates. That's cash money, tax free, that goes into the wallet starting right away. People who are overweight have enough to worry about, and I hope they don't take it as piling on. But people who are trying to change their weight, and undecided about what to do, may be helped by an economic analysis that puts some real dollar figures into their calculations.