Obesity is worse than smoking, both for their own health and to the health service costs, according to a study.
Obesity costs more in both their own health and health care costs, than either smoking or excessive alcohol use does, according to a large U.S. study.
According to the report, obesity ads approximately 20 years of health risks. This means that a fat 30-year old end up in the same risk group as normal weight 50-year-olds, for diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
It is particular, the increase in diabetes that is causing the high health costs of overweight and obesity.
Obesity increases health service costs by 36 percent per person and cost of medicines by 77 percent, according to the study carried out among 10,000 adult Americans, according to news agency Reuters.
Smoking leads to an increase in health service costs by 21 percent per person and increases drug spending by 28 percent, while excessive alcohol use, on average, leading to even lower rates.
Smoking and alcohol use has been the focus of both research and health policy for years. Obesity, which may have far greater health consequences, has been the subject of far less interest.
According to researcher Roland Sturm, UCLA / RAND Managed Care Center for Psychiatric Disorders, in Santa Monica, California.
Obesity increases the risk of a high number of serious diseases and conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, stress disorders and various cancers.
Some of these diseases require constant care, such as diabetes, which increases the risk of diseases and disorders such as kidney failure, blindness, heart disease and circulatory problems.
More and more hours in front of the television set, less physical activity and a car-obsessed culture is one of the main reasons for the increasing obesity and the increasing number of obesity-related diseases, according to Sturm.
Health authorities recommend cutting down on intake of sugar and fat and that doing physical activity, to reduce the risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases.