Obesity does not pay: Lose weight and make more money.

Health care is expensive. It is estimated that health care spending in the United States will reach $2.2 trillion this year. Much of this cost is absorbed by companies.

Obesity places individuals at risk for diabetes, heart disease, organ failure, depression, and many serious health problems. A sick employee also results in lower productivity and higher costs for companies.

Companies are now placing some financial burden onto employees for being fat. According to a recent article on MSNBC.com:

“In 2009 the company will start reducing pay for employees in its health plan by
$10 per paycheck if their BMI — a measurement of body fat through a height and
weight ratio — is in the obese range of more than 29.9. The deduction will be $5
per check if they don’t meet required cholesterol, blood pressure or blood
glucose measurements. Workers will be required to complete an annual health risk
assessment and can appeal to have their fees dropped if they show improvement.”

Reference: Employees starting to pay for poor health

If obese Americans will not lose weight for better health, perhaps they’ll lose weight when it becomes a financial penalty.

Obesity in the news:

Property values signal obesity (Chicago Tribune, United States) - Neighborhood property values predict obesity rates better than education or incomes, according to a study from the University of Washington published online ...

New link between obesity and infertility (Daily Telegraph, Australia - By Tamara McLean) SCIENTISTS have proven the link between obesity and infertility, with tests showing fat mice are more likely to have damaged embryos which ...

Rising gasoline prices could take a bite out of America's obesity ... (News from Washington University in St. Louis, MO) - An additional $1 in real gasoline prices would reduce obesity in the US by 15 percent after three years," suggests Charles Courtemanche, an economics ...

New approach to fighting obesity and diabetes (UQ News, Australia) - UQ researcher Professor Bob Gilbert said that while an unhealthy lifestyle and poor eating habits were significant factors in Australia's obesity and ...

High Blood Pressure Rising Among Children (Washington Post, United States) - This is another piece of evidence suggesting that the obesity epidemic will likely turn into a heart disease epidemic." Previous research had indicated that ...