You are afraid you cannot afford catastrophic health coverage. You think there is nothing you can do about rising health care costs. But you can. You can exercise and eat right to keep your weight at normal levels. Over 30 percent of Americans are obese. That is over 90 million people and that number is growing. People who are obese have a much greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease, cancer (in particular endometrial, colon, kidney, esophageal, and postmenopausal breast cancer), high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, sleep apnea, and arthritis. “I’m not obese so I don’t have to worry, right?” Well for a person of a healthy weight who gains 10 pounds that extra weight significantly increases your risk of diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer. Gaining more weight increases your risk exponentially.
In a study done by John Cawley of Cornell University and Chad Meyerhoefer of Lehigh University it was estimated that obesity adds over $2800.00 a year per person in medical costs. In another study done by RTI International, a not-for-profit think tank, and the Center for Disease Control found that normal-weight men miss on average of three work days a year. Men who are 60 or more pounds overweight missed five days a year. Normal-weight women call in sick an average of 3.4 days a year. Women who are 30 – 60 pounds overweight miss 5.2 days a year. Women who are over 100 pounds overweight missed approximately 8.2 work days a year. So if you are paid hourly, your weight could be costing you loss of income as well.
Likewise, being obese may cost you more money in health insurance. If your application for medical health insurance is not declined because obesity might be deemed a high risk pre-existing condition, your premium may well be doubled that of a normal weight individual. So your wallet could be affected by your weight in one of three ways, medical costs, loss of pay through missing work, and greater premiums for health coverage.
Staying healthy requires diet and exercise. Eating a healthy diet including fresh fruits and vegetables is paramount. If you have a busy schedule, one way of getting the requisite amount of vitamins and minerals is to take supplements. Another way of insuring a healthy meal on the go is to find low carb meal replacements or protein shakes. Sound expensive? Believe me, it costs way less than $2800.00 a year. Exercise does not cost $2800.00 per year either. Gym memberships cost an average o $30.00 – $50.00 per month. Even at $50.00 per month, the annual cost would only be $600.00. If you don’t want to spend the $600.00, you can walk or jog at the local high school track. That’s free. One study found that people who exercised or played sports paid out less in medical costs annually than inactive people. They also saw their doctors less and were in the hospital fewer times. Being a healthy weight can drastically cut your health care costs and the benefits of being fit include a better quality of life. That’s economics to live by!
