Increasing obesity rates in Delaware and across the country will result in higher healthcare spending for states and individuals, according to a recent study.
“The Future Cost of Obesity” predicts that obesity rates will reach 44.7 percent in Delaware in 10 years and associated health care costs will surpass $975 million for the entire state and $1,366 per person.
In 2008, 32.7 percent of Delawareans were obese, which compares to one-third of all Americans who are obese. According to the study, if obesity rates in Delaware remained at 2008 levels, residents in the state could expect to save $785 per person in health spending during the next 10 years.
The national study was commissioned by UnitedHealth Foundation, Partnership for Prevention, and American Public Health Association in conjunction with their annual Americas Health Rankings report. It is based on research by Emory University health care economist Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., executive director of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.
“This study demonstrates that as policymakers seek to make healthcare more affordable, addressing the obesity epidemic is vital,” Thorpe said. “It threatens to break the bank of our healthcare system, and family budgets if we don’t take action.”
At the national level, obesity accounts for nearly 10 percent of what the U.S. spends annually on healthcare. One-third of the increase in domestic health spending since the mid-1980s is linked to the doubling of obesity.
To see the full report, click here.
