HealthMagazineSummer2017

StudiesShow
HighHealthcareCostsareDirectlyLinkedtoObesity

Bysomeestimates,nearly21percentofallcurrentmedical
spendingintheUnitedStatesisnowobesityrelated.
(Hammond)

AgrowingnumberofchildrenintheUnitedStatesareobese.Whenthesechildren
becomeadults,theywillmostlikelystillbeobese.Ifyouareanobesechild,youwill
alsohaveanincreasedriskofanarrayofdiseasesthatarefoundinobeseadults.
Heartdisease,type2diabetes,highcholesterol,hypertension,asthma,
osteoporosis,severaltypesofcancersandliverdiseasearesomeofthediseases.
Thetreatmentiscostly.

14.1billiondollarsarespentonthehealthconsequencesof
childhoodobesityeachyear,accordingtoastudyconductedin2009
Thisisaseriousproblemthatdesperatelyneedstobesolvedthroughdietingand
exercise.Followingahealthydietandlifestylecandramaticallydecreaseapersons
riskofbeingobeseandtheeffectsthatfollow.Staringattheroot(children)will
distillhealthybehavioralpatternsthatwouldotherwisebehardertopickupforan
unhealthyperson.Thiscanbedonebyincludingeducationalprogramsinschools
forelementaryagechildren.Ifpeoplecommittoconqueringobesity,thenalarge
healthcarechangewouldfollow.Weareluckythatthisisanissuewithawayof
solvingthatiswithinourgrasp.

WorksCited

Hammond, Ross A. "Childhood Obesity Fuels High Health-Care Costs." Childhood Obesity, edited by Tamara
Thompson, Greenhaven Press, 2016. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010964204/OVIC?u=mass12242&xid=3660023b. Accessed 17 May 2017. Originally
published as "Obesity, Prevention, and Health Care Costs,", 4 May 2012.

Philen, Timothy. "Unhealthy Eating Makes Health Care Expensive." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale,
2017. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/IUJHJD092554260/OVIC?u=mass12242&xid=2e4a5eb8. Accessed 17 May 2017.
Originally published as "A plea for tart reform," Washington Times, 17 Jan. 2017.