EFN

According to new research published this week, health spending for ailments related to obesity has soared to $147 billion, twice that of a decade ago.

The study was conducted by researchers at RTI International, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is published in the 27 July issue of the health policy journal Health Affairs.

Obesity currently accounts for 9 percent of the countries total health care costs, compared to 6.5 percent in 1998. 90 percent of that gain was due to the climb in U.S. obesity rates, researcher said. More than 25 percent of Americans are obese, up from 18.3 percent in 1998.

“Obesity and with it diabetes are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country, and they’re getting worse rapidly,” Thomas Frieden, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention new director said, The Wall Street Journal reports.
In an effort to relieve the epidemic, the agency published a strategy last week which included a proposal to increase healthy foods and drinks in schools. The encouragement of breast-feeding and the building of supermarkets in less fortunate areas are also mentioned as measures necessary to fight America’s growing obesity epidemic.

In his speech Monday, Dr. Frieden said measures that had worked to control tobacco, like taxes and reducing exposure, should help control obesity, as well. Those could include a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. A 10% price increase on sugared beverages could reduce consumption 7.8%, he said.