Research Finds Major Jump in Costs of Treating Obesity

A study in the journal Health Affairs indicates that annual spending on treatments for obesity-related conditions hit $147 billion in 2008, accounting for about 10% of all health care spending.  Moreover, researchers found that obese Americans' health care costs are about 42% higher than normal-weight Americans' costs.

• "Obese Americans Spend Far More on Health Care" (Rabin, New York Times, 7/28).