What to Do About Skyrocketing Obesity Healthcare Costs

A large part of the GDP of the United States of America is spent on healthcare facilities. Healthcare expenditure amounts to 15.3% of the total GDP. The coming decade is predicted to be no different and the costs can rise up to 19.5%. More than deadly diseases, it is physical conditions like obesity that has increased the amount of money that an average American spends on health related problems. Of the total population of the United States, almost 25% are obese and suffer from ailments that result out of it.

Health statistics reveal that cases of obesity witnessed a steep rise of 37% from 1998-2006 that consequently raised the amount that was spent on it to a whopping $40 billion per year. The amount spent on treatment of obesity related diseases was 42% more than what was spent on the healthcare of standard weight individuals. This high rate of expenditure is on health is surely a cause of concern especially in current scenario of economic downturn.

These were not spent on fat removal surgeries like bariatric surgery but on diseases that occurred as a result of obesity. People who are overweight are likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and heart diseases. The increasing cases of obesity are thus responsible for the upward swing in healthcare costs.

You do not want your child to be troubled by obesity and other associated diseases like Type 2 Diabetes from such an early age. Therefore, it is up to the parents and the teachers to share the responsibility of developing a diet plan for the child that would incorporate all the essential nutrients and at the same time appeal to his or her taste buds. Along with the right kind of food, it is also necessary to encourage them for engaging in a lot of physical activity instead of remaining glued to the computer or the television screen.

The effort towards countering this rising expenditure should come from all quarters. To begin with, it is the duty of every parent, teacher and coach to inculcate healthy eating habits in kids. Teachers and coaches can set an example by organizing healthy fundraisers that impose restrictions on the intake of food items rich in fats, saturated fats and sugar. Chocolate fundraisers are no longer organized in most schools across the nation and thus pass on the message of opting for healthy solutions in fundraising effectively.

Now the question may arise as to what are the substitutes for fried foods and snacks which children find hard to resist. The solution to this is healthy alternatives or snacks that contain less fats and sugar thereby minimizing the chances of children becoming prone to obesity. It is difficult to restrain children from snacking, especially at the time of a school fundraiser, but when you arrange for healthy snacking options, you no longer need to restrict kids from having them. You cannot compromise with the health of your family and therefore it is better to be careful rather than repent later.

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