Health Resource Package: Obesity

Congress Asks...

Americans Are Getting Fatter — Does It Matter?

RAND Health Research

Yes, it matters. RAND studies find that obesity is linked to more chronic health problems than daily smoking, heavy drinking, or living in poverty.

• Obese people have more chronic conditions — two-thirds more than similar normal-weight individuals. The increase for daily smokers is 25%; for heavy drinkers, 12%.
• Poverty is also a significant health threat — but less than obesity.
• Obese people spend 36% more on health care services, compared with 21% more for daily smokers and 14% more for heavy drinkers.
• Obese people spend 77% more on medications — much more than daily smokers or heavy drinkers.

Obesity has become a national epidemic.

• One in five Americans is obese.
• Three in five are either overweight or obese.
• How obesity is measured — examples:
  

Obesity rate has increased dramatically since 1980.

• Full impact is not yet known because chronic conditions take years to develop.
• Being obese is like aging from 30 to 50.
• Current estimates probably understate the public health consequences.

The risks of obesity have received minimal public policy attention compared with other health risks.

References

This fact sheet is based on the following publications:

"The Health Risks of Obesity: Worse Than Smoking, Drinking, or Poverty" 2002; RAND RB-4549 (HTML).

Sturm R. "The Effects of Obesity, Smoking, and Problem Drinking on Chronic Medical Problems and Health Care Costs." Health Affairs. 2002;21(2):245-253.

Sturm R, Wells KB. "Does Obesity Contribute As Much to Morbidity As Poverty or Smoking?" Public Health. 2001;115:229-295.

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For more information, contact Shirley Ruhe at (703) 413-1100, extension 5632, or by email at ruhe@rand.org.