A lot of Californians are fat, and they’re putting a strain on their own health, as well as the state’s economic health.
More adults in California are obese or overweight than those who aren’t, according to a new study. Almost 40% of children in public schools in California are overweight or obese, according to another study.
A UCLA Center for Health Policy Research study released this month found that almost 60% of California adults are overweight or obese and that almost 8% of the state’s adults have diabetes.
A study released last month in the journal Pediatrics found that between 2001 and 2008, 38% of California’s fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders were overweight, 19.8% were obese and 3.6% were severely obese.
Rates of obesity and diabetes in California are considerably higher than national goals and both appear to be rising. Extra pounds make it harder for people to stay healthy and they take a financial toll on the state, as well. According to California Health Interview Survey, California’s costs related to obesity are reported to be $21 billion a year. California’s total annual cost of diabetes is estimated to be $24 billion — about $17 billion spent on direct medical care and $7 billion on indirect costs associated with the disease.
We asked stakeholders how policy makers and insurers should combat obesity in California.
We got responses from: