Another Downside of Fat
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Forget looking bad. Obesity may have an even higher price - and we don't mean your health. We're talking here about the economy.
It's no surprise that developed countries are getting fatter. In 1980, 15% of the US population was obese. These days, it's more than twice that.
A more sedentary lifestyle is mostly to blame, with fewer people involved in manual labour and more labour-saving devices available. And these elements may be more to blame than increased caloric consumption, as is often thought to be the case.
ING did a study to see what implications obesity had on the economy.
The main finding?
An increased mortality rate among the obese section of the population leads to a slower population growth rate. Not that surprising, perhaps, but worth considering.
They also reported that:
However, it looks like the economic implications of obesity will be small, which one might think was not the outcome the researchers expected.
But with a possible financial impact of as much as $650bn over the next 50 years (or 5% of the annual US GDP), it's not that trim either.
A more sedentary lifestyle is mostly to blame, with fewer people involved in manual labour and more labour-saving devices available. And these elements may be more to blame than increased caloric consumption, as is often thought to be the case.
ING did a study to see what implications obesity had on the economy.
The main finding?
An increased mortality rate among the obese section of the population leads to a slower population growth rate. Not that surprising, perhaps, but worth considering.
They also reported that:
- Obesity can lead to up to a 25% decrease in fertility, which leads to a decreased workforce, although this won't be seen for another 15 years
- It also leads to illness, which means missed days (to the tune of £30bn per year)
- Obesity causes a shorter lifespan, although being overweight doesn't, with increased medical problems along the way
- In 2003, obesity cost the US $100bn - half of which was paid through governmental agencies
However, it looks like the economic implications of obesity will be small, which one might think was not the outcome the researchers expected.
But with a possible financial impact of as much as $650bn over the next 50 years (or 5% of the annual US GDP), it's not that trim either.
