How Much Do You Pay for Obesity?

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The health cost of obesity in the U.S. is as high as $147 billion annually, a study by Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Research Triangle Institute (RTI), announced earlier this week. These costs include payments by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. Obese people spent on average $1,429 a year on medical care in 2006 -- that's 42% more then normal weight people.

With numbers like these, it seems clear that the obesity problem in this country affects everyone. When considering the rising costs of health insurance, a healthy community could save us all money. The CDC has issued a list of tips along with a guide to help communities prevent obesity.

"It is critical that we take effective steps to contain and reduce the enormous burden of obesity on our nation," said the CDC Director Thomas Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "These new recommendations and their proposed measurements are a powerful and practical tool to help state and local governments, school districts and local partners take necessary action."

The CDC's Recommended Strategies for Obesity Prevention

Communities should do the following:

1. Increase availability of healthier food and beverage choices in public service venues
2. Improve availability of affordable healthier food and beverage choices in public service venues
3. Improve geographic availability of supermarkets in underserved areas
4. Provide incentives to food retailers to locate in and/or offer healthier food and beverage choices in underserved areas
5. Improve availability of mechanisms for purchasing foods from farms
6. Provide incentives for the production, distribution and procurement of foods from local farms
7. Restrict availability of less healthy foods and beverages in public service venues
8. Institute smaller portion size options in public service venues
9. Limit advertisements of less healthy foods and beverages
10. Discourage consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages
11. Increase support for breastfeeding
12. Require physical education in schools
13. Increase the amount of physical activity in physical education programs in schools
14. Increase the amount of physical activity in physical education programs in schools
15. Reduce screen time in public service venues
16. Improve access to outdoor recreational facilities
17. Enhance infrastructure supporting bicycling
18. Enhance infrastructure supporting walking
19. Support locating schools within easy walking distance of residential areas
20. Improve access to public transportation
21. Zone for mixed-use development
22. Enhance personal safety in areas where persons are or could be physically active
23. Enhance traffic safety in areas where persons are or could be physically active
24. Participate in community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity

Check out The Daily Green's Tips for eating a real food diet and getting your kids outside.

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