Colditz 1999 - "Economic Costs of Obesity and Inactivity"

Colditz, Graham A
"Economic Costs of Obesity and Inactivity"
Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise
November 1999; v.31, n.11 (supplement); pp.S663-S667
On the Web
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Using similar methods to a previous study, Colditz estimates the direct costs of lack of physical exercise to be $24 billion per year (2.4% of national health care expenditures) and the direct costs for obesity, independent of lack of exercise, to be $70 billion (9.4%) for the year 1995.

Colditz reviewed the literature to estimate the proportion of type 2 diabetes, coronary hearth disease, hypertension, gall bladder disease, breast and colon cancer, and osteoporotic fractures that could be attributed to physical inactivity or obesity (BMI>30) in 1995.

According to Colditz's numbers, 69% of type 2 diabetes, 40% of coronary heart disease, 40% of hypertension, and 50% of gall bladder disease can be contributed to obesity (if I correctly understand population-attributable risk percent - PAR%).

The major contributors to the costs of inactivity were type 2 diabetes ($6.4 bil.), and coronary heart disease ($8.9 bil.).  The major contributors to the costs of obesity were type 2 diabetes ($36.6 bil.), coronary heart disease ($16.2), and hypertension ($7.6 bil.).

Comments

[bildekor]

Quite nicely written actually, i like it. :)