Financial Impact of Obesity

Barrios, L.; Jones, D. B.

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-78665-0_62

L. Barrios &
D. B. Jones

201 Accesses

Abstract:

Obesity is associated with serious medical conditions, psychosocial problems, and major health costs. Medical illnesses associated with obesity include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, cancer, hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative joint disease, and back pain. Socially, obese individuals may suffer from discrimination at work, lower wages, inability to find a love companion, and overall poor quality of life.

As the prevalence of obesity soars, the number of bariatric operations performed in the United States has increased dramatically over the last decade. Weight loss surgeries such as the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic adjustable gastric band placement, and sleeve gastrectomy are being performed more frequently in adults, and are now also being performed in children and adolescents. This article summarizes findings from recent studies discussing the financial implications of these trends. Specifically, we address the high medical costs associated with weight related co-morbid illnesses, and we discuss the indirect costs to employers of the obese workforce.

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Abbreviations

BMI:: Body Mass Index
BPD:: Biliopancreatic Diversion
CEA:: Cost-Effectiveness Analyses
CMS:: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
LAGB:: Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band
NHANES:: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
QALY:: Quality Adjusted Life Year
RYGBP:: Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass
SG:: Sleeve Gastrectomy

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ms. Shannon Fischer for her editorial assistance with this manuscript.

Authors

L. Barrios
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D. B. Jones
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Editors and Affiliations

Dept. Nutrition and Dietetics Nutritional Sciences Research Division School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King's College London, Franklin‐Wilkins Building 150 Stamford Street, SE1 9NH, London, UK
Victor R. Preedy (Prof.) (Prof.)
Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Health Science Center 1295 N. Martin, P.O. Box 245155, 85724-5155, Tucson, AZ
Ronald R. Watson (Prof.) (Prof.)

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Barrios, L., Jones, D.B. (2010). Financial Impact of Obesity. In: Preedy, V.R., Watson, R.R. (eds) Handbook of Disease Burdens and Quality of Life Measures. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78665-0_62

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78665-0_62
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-78664-3
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-78665-0
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