Health expenditure linked to childhood obesity would reach 10 billion euros in the United States. This cost should encourage further development of early prevention of obesity.
€ 13,800: that’s roughly the cost of a child with obesity. This estimate from Duke University (North Carolina, United States) takes into account the direct costs of overweight, that is to say the costs related to consultations, hospitalizations and treatments. These data, published on April 7 in Pediatrics, argue in favor of obesity prevention targeted at the youngest, say the researchers.
Prevent or delay weight gain
The medical cost of childhood obesity would reach 14 billion dollars (10 billion €) taking into account only obese children up to 10 years old. These expenses, in addition to the health risks this condition presents, should prompt a rapid reaction. “Reducing childhood obesity is a public health priority,” said Dr. Eric Andrew Finkelstein, lead author of the study. According to him, staying inactive presents a significant cost for society … while taking action to prevent – or at least delay the onset of weight gain – should reduce health costs.
Real health risks
As proof: the researchers estimate that the medical cost of a child of normal weight who becomes obese in adulthood is $ 12,900 – or € 9,400. Acting on obesity early would also reduce the rate of obese adults. “Solving obesity in adults requires efforts to prevent it in children,” insists Dr. Rahul Malhotra, co-author of this study. “Studies have shown that children and adolescents who are obese remain obese into adulthood. Not to mention that obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes or various cancers. This represents a significant weight for the State.
“Improving health at a reasonable cost should be a priority in public health interventions,” says Dr Finkelstein. For asserting that an obese child “costs” a little less than € 14,000 to society is only an economic vision of the problem. However, “preventing childhood obesity should not be motivated by financial implications”, concludes Dr Finkelstein.
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