Loss vs. Cost

The Financial Cost of Being Overweight

Most people understand that being overweight is bad for their health, but the fact that it can also be bad for your wallet is not something that many people consider. Not only are people spending money to try and lose weight but they also have to spend more just because of being overweight.

The cost that an estimated individual spends on weight loss programs are as follows:

Pre made food plans: $3600 annually

Diet weight management agencies: (some include the cost of food)

$624 -3640 annually

Life Insurance Premiums: People who are overweight typically have to pay life insurance premiums that are twice to four times as expensive as the average person.

Health Insurance: The average extra cost is around $2,400 every single year for an overweight person.

Many diseases that interfere with your life when you are overweight can cost a fortune to treat.

Diabetes: $1,714 annual

Hypertension: $585 annual

These prices are only for medication. There are also surgery and doctor expenses that to take into consideration for the annual cost.

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/

Health Benefits of Weight Loss

The primary benefits of losing weight are to reduce your health risks for diseases such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

Heart Disease and Stroke
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability for both men and women in the United States. Overweight people are more likely to have:

• High Blood Pressure. This is a major risk factor for both heart disease and stroke.
• Very high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats). These can also lead to heart disease and are linked to being overweight.
• Angina. Being overweight can also contribute to this problem that involves chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart.
• Sudden death from heart disease or stroke without any signs or symptoms.

Reducing your weight by 5-10 percent can decrease your chance of developing heart disease or having a stroke. You can improve your heart function, blood pressure and your levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

Losing Weight Can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are associated with long-term complications that threaten life and the quality of life. If you're overweight, you are twice as likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes (non-insulin dependent) as people who aren't overweight. You can reduce your chances of getting this disease by losing weight and by increasing your physical activity.

If you already have Type 2 Diabetes, losing weight and getting exercise can help you control your blood sugar levels. It may even reduce the amount of medication that you need to take.