Their coexistence is not coincidental.
 
New data application from a recent study further illuminates the relationship between the two major issues, revealing if every American living with obesity hypothetically reduced their body mass index (BMI) by 5%, the cumulative effect would save $68.1 billion in private health insurance spending annually and $21.7 billion in Medicare.  
 
A 10% BMI reduction (i.e. a drop from 30 to 27 BMI; from 40 to 36 BMI, etc.) from every American with obesity, defined as having a 30 BMI or higher, would save $128.3 billion in private insurance and $41.6 billion in Medicare. A 25% BMI reduction annually saves $270 billion and $92.9 billion, respectively.
 
Dr. Ken Thorpe, professor at Emory University and chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, based these findings on figures from his December research study, Estimated Reduction in Health Care Spending Associated With Weight Loss Among Adults.
 
That study, which used dollars from 2023, explored how lower health care spending is associated with a 5-25% BMI reduction. While BMI is considered an imperfect obesity marker, not accounting for such composition factors as muscle mass, the macro picture paints a clear image of how obesity and health care costs are intertwined.
 
Obesity, itself categorized as a disease, is associated with various chronic diseases.
 
“When reducing body weight and mass, you often reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels,” Thorpe said. “You alleviate physical stress that can lead to severe complications, including a stroke or heart attack. If we had a different BMI distribution in adults, we would spend less on health care than we do today.”
 
The findings inform a financial lens through which to view personal health.
 
From gym and class memberships, athletic equipment to non-processed groceries, positively associated habits like exercise and nutrition carry a clear, initial financial cost. The same applies for FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs, as the weekly injections have been shown in randomized trials to reduce body mass and lower the likelihood for Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other benefits.
 
Such dollar signs stare at Americans in plain sight, influencing their daily decision-making.
 
But there is a financial cost, too, for not preventing or mitigating obesity.
 
As Thorpe’s research shows, it’s significant.