The direct health care costs of obesity in the United States

Objectives. Recent estimates suggest that obesity accounts for 5.7% of US t otal direct health care casts, but these estimates have not accounted for t he increased death rate: among obese people. This article examines whether. the estimated direct health care costs attributable: to obesity are offset by the. increased mortality rate among obese individuals. Methods. Data on death rates, relative risks of death with obesity, and hea lth care costs at different ages were used to estimate direct health care c osts of obesity from 20 to 85 years of age - with and without accounting: f or increased death rates associated with obesity Sensitivity analyses used different values of relative risk of death, given obesity, and allowed the relative costs due to obesity per unit of time to vary with age. Results. Direct health care casts from 20 to 85 years of age were estimated to be approximately 25% lower when differentia mortality was taken into ac count. Sensitivity analyses suggested that direct health care costs of obes ity are unlikely to exceed. 4.32% or to be lower than 0.90%. Conclusions, Increased mortality among obese people should be accounted for in order not to overestimate health care costs.