fat people
Out of context: Reply #54
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- sputnik20
partial from this article http://www.usatoday.com/news/hea…
"Thorpe and his colleagues analyzed national surveys of about 14,000 people from 1987 and 2002. The data included health care spending, medical conditions and trips to the doctor, hospital and pharmacy. Findings:
• The percentage of obese people being treated for high cholesterol, mental disorders and upper gastrointestinal disorders increased 10 percentage points.
• The increase in adult-onset diabetes contributed to a 64% rise in diabetes treatment from 1987 to 2002.
• About 25% of the extremely obese (80 or more pounds overweight) were being treated for six or more conditions in 2002, compared with 14% in 1987.
Thorpe's findings add to growing evidence that extra pounds increase medical costs. A study last year by RTI International in Raleigh, N.C., and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that obese and overweight Americans racked up about $75 billion in weight-related medical bills in 2003. Because much of this is covered by Medicare and Medicaid, taxpayers pay about half the total, the study found."
many conditions are completely avoidable and directly related to obesity. fat = $