Obesity isn’t only a health issue, it is also an economic problem costing Americans billions of dollars every year.
And — unless current trends slow — costs will rise even more over the next decades.
Tennessee could spend more than $12 billion a year on obesity-related health costs by 2020 and Georgia could spend nearly $20 billion, according to a study released Tuesday. Alabama is projected to spend nearly $9 billion annually in less than eight years.
For the first time, the annual “F as in Fat” report includes an analysis that forecasts obesity rates over the next 18 years for each state and the likely rise in both obesity-related diseases and health care costs. The report, compiled by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also looks at potential savings if states could lower obesity rates.
“Real change is possible; we know what it takes to win,” said Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America’s Health.