The Cost of Being Overweight

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Why is this important to anybody? I want to use myself as an example for a minute. I’m over 65 and on Medicare so if you’re on Medicare you understand what I mean. I go to my primary physician twice a year. He checks me over and decides if there’s any change in my condition that he has to be concerned about. If there is then he might send me to a specialist or simply make some suggestions.

One time I was in his office and he asked me how long I wanted to live. So I answered that I hoped to live to 90. He asked me if I knew any 90-year-old males that were obese. I immediately said, “why do you think I’m obese”? And he replied quickly that my BMI was over 30 and yes I’m considered obese. But I feel great and yes I know I gained a few pounds but I always do in the winter.

He replied that there will come a day when insurance companies and employers will judge you not by your health condition today, but by what your condition might be in the future.

After our little discussion I lost weight and now my BMI is average. BMI is your Body Mass Index and it’s easy to calculate. As a matter of fact, you can download a phone app to calculate it. So why is it so important now? Well, now we have new regulations governing health insurance and if your policy hasn’t changed yet, it will, probably this year. There are 10 new items that the government says must be included in all policies. That’s supposed to make it more fair and equal for all policy holders. Now comes the hard part, insurance companies will charge more to people that they feel are not as healthy as others. So being overweight will cost more, being older will cost more and having any health condition that you’ve been treated for in the past will probably cost you more.

For an individual with a BMI of 35 or more, the cost of health care will be about $3,000 to $10,000 more depending on your age. This is not your cost; it would be the cost of treating you. By the time those costs end up calculated into the cost of your insurance policy, you might be paying $ 5,000 to 15,000 more.

Excess weight also costs you at your workplace. Overweight women on an average make 6% less than thinner counterparts. And overweight men on average take home 3% less. Overweight persons are often Passover for promotions. They are viewed as being less productive. They need more time off. University studies show that heavier employees usually take 7 or more sick days. That’s compared to 4 days for a thinner employee.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office, those with a BMI of over 30 have a 50% to 100% increased risk of premature death compared to individuals of a healthy weight.

Now the real costs; Those of us with a BMI over 35 will probably pay $50,000 to $100,000 more in medical costs during your adult life. Couple that with the money you’re losing on the job, and then considering that because you’re not as healthy as a thinner person you might not be able to work until retirement which will cut your total lifetime earnings and cut your Social Security check.

To sum this up, the $100,000 extra that you might pay out in medical cost maybe only the tip of the iceberg as far as your cost of being overweight.

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