Obesity and its Relation to Mortality and Morbidity Costs

We reviewed almost 500 research articles on obesity and its relation to mortality and morbidity, focusing primarily on papers published from January 1980 to June 2009. There is substantial evidence that obesity is a worldwide epidemic and that it has a significant negative impact on health, mortality and related costs. Overweight and obesity are associated with increased prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and some cancers. There also is evidence that increased weight is associated with kidney disease, stroke, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea. Moreover, empirical studies report that obesity significantly increases the risk of death. We used the results to estimate costs due to overweight and obesity in the United States and Canada. We estimate that total annual economic cost of overweight and obesity in the United States and Canada caused by medical costs, excess mortality and disability is approximately $300 billion in 2009. JEL Classification: H10, H11, J11, J32 November 30, 2010 The Society of Actuaries supported this project with a research grant. Obesity and its Relation to Mortality and Morbidity Costs 1