Cheaper To Treat The Obese

Is it cheaper to provide medical treatment for fat people? According to a report by the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, it is cheaper to provide medical treatment for fat people. The study sure is raising eyebrows because conventional wisdom says the opposite is true.

Ah, but that conventional wisdom doesn’t take into account that fat people don’t live as long and so do not suffer the complications of a long life. It costs a lot of money to treat someone who has lived a long life. This might include nursing home care that will last many years.

Ultimately, the thin and healthy group cost the most, about $417,000, from age 20 on. The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000.

Tags: health care costs