Specifically, the study published in advance online by the Obesity journal calculated lifetime health bills of people overweight by 30 pounds or more to to be higher by $5,000 to $21,000 compared to people with normal weight.
For the extra large individuals or those 70 pounds or more overweight, an even larger $15,000 to $29,000 extra lifetime medical bill awaits them.
A link was established between obesity, race, gender and medical bills. According to Eric Finkelstein, economist of RTI International, medical expenses of obese white women are higher than overweight black women because white women tend to use more health services as they gained more pounds.
Aside from leading to slimmer pocketbooks, being obese often leads to a lower quality of life because they often miss more workdays, Finkelstein added.
But taking away the excess weight via surgery is not cheap either. According to the Washington Post, the cost starts at $17,000 for a stomach-banding procedure to $35,000 for a gastric bypass operation. Complications may shoot up the bills by a few thousand more dollars.
Because of its high cost, Medicare recently issued guidelines which includes a minimum body mass index of 40 or weight-related problems like heart ailment, sleep apnea ot diabetes if the BMI is 35 and failed to slim by traditional dieting and exercise for up to 5 years.
Some surgeons may perform surgical procedures on people with BMI below 35 or 40, but in such cases, the cost is usually shouldered by the patient and not covered by health insurance.
