Obesity Results in Higher Medicare Costs

U.S. men and women who were overweight or obese in young adulthood and middle age have significantly higher Medicare costs in older age.

Obesity is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers and has been identified as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Approximately 130 million U.S. adults are currently overweight or obese, defined as having a body mass index of 25 to 29.9 or greater.

Dr. Martha L. Daviglus, from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine examined the relationship between BMI in young adulthood and middle age to Medicare spending at ages 65 years and older.

The researchers found annual average Medicare charges for severely obese men were $6,192 more, or 84 percent higher, than for nonoverweight men. For severely obese women, annual average charges were $5,618 more, 88 percent higher, than for nonoverweight women.

The findings are published in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association.