Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

OVERWEIGHT AND UNDERWEIGHT—WHAT ARE THE RISKS? 395
ECONOMIC AND SOCIETAL COSTS OF BEING OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE
The economic burden of overweight and obesity has skyrocketed as obesity rates in the
United States continue to climb. According to a recent report, direct health care costs due
to overweight and obesity (money directly paid to treat the illness) exceed $480 billion and
indirect health care costs (lost economic productivity due to absenteeism, lost wages, and
reduced productivity) have surpassed $1.2 trillion. 4 On the individual level, people who are
obese spend $3,429 more per year for medical care than people of healthy weight. 5
Social and emotional consequences of being overweight or obese are no less real than
economic costs. Individuals with obesity often face discrimination, lower wages, depression,
anxiety, and lower quality of life. 3,6 Weight bias and discrimination are of particular concern
for those who are overweight or obese. Weight bias is defined as “negative weight-related
attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and judgments toward individuals who are overweight and
obese,” though this bias does extend to those who are underweight as well. 7
Incidence of weight discrimination has increased by 66 percent since 1995 and occurs
at rates similar to that of racial discrimination. 8 According to Rebecca Puhl, PhD, deputy
director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, “Bias,
stigma, and discrimination due to weight are frequent experiences for many individuals
with obesity, which have serious consequences for their personal and social well being and
overall health.” 9 Puhl has also noted that “about 40% of the general population reports that
it has experienced some type of weight stigma—whether it be weight-based teasing, unfair
treatment, or discrimination.” 10 Individuals who are obese are often blamed for their disease
and viewed as being lazy, stupid, ugly, and lacking in self-control or motivation. 11 This bias
toward people with obesity is seen in many aspects of life, including the workplace, health
care, social environments, and even the individual’s own family.