Five Financial Costs of Obesity

Here is a Newsweek article that lists five major costs of American obesity. The results are compiled from several recent studies and other sources.

1. Lower Wages
2. Less Hours Worked
3. Higher Medical Costs
4. Higher Airfare
5. Less Fuel Economy

The last one seems to be a bit of a stretch. Even several hundred pounds will only slightly affect fuel economy. Over the entire country I suppose this would add up, but any small effect will add up if multiplied by 300 million.

There is another angle, however: larger individuals will no doubt opt for larger vehicles, which in turn does have a significant effect. Also, as the average American increases in size, automakers must continually readjust auto size, thus building larger and larger vehicles to keep up with demand.

Can you think of any other areas where obesity would have added, perhaps hidden, costs?

Read more here, here, and here.