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Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Tevi Troy weighs in on how obesity could impact health-care costs.
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When bigger is not -- -- 42% of America and could wind up obese.
By the year 203011%.
Of those could be severely obese something it didn't even really exist in this country before 1970.
That could add billions of dollars to our health care costs this all according to a report from RTI international to weigh in.
Unintended -- -- senior fellow at the Hudson institute and former health and human services deputy secretary -- talk about the potential.
Calls to this country and how devastating it could be financially to the nation.
Yeah I dig -- thanks -- early on there was recently a study that showed that the costs are about a 190 billion dollars annually that's a huge amount of money.
And you have to think about the cost and a number of ways.
First of all there's the direct medical costs that the people.
Who are overweight or obese and they they cost more they have more chronic conditions are in a hospital more it's just more expensive to treat them.
I know how some hospitals are buying new sturdier -- to deal -- with heavier people so those are direct medical costs we also have fuel costs.
-- its heavier to transport somebody like that.
And does so they they have to buy more fuel and as we all know fuel is quite expensive these days so that's another issue then there other -- and cost in terms of productivity there are some studies that suggest.
That there's greater absentee.
For people are unhealthy -- have these chronic conditions.
And you also have the issue of government -- left productivity at work if you're not feeling well if you're not up to snuff.
Sometimes you're you're not producing as much so it could have real economic costs real health care costs and and just direct reimbursement cost of government or a real challenge fact that we're facing.
We have a couple of minutes and I'm not actually a big question of how to fix it.
But it becomes a dangerous situation because you have more Americans are becoming obese and if the government is picking up their health care costs and talking about Medicare with more more people going on -- Medicare.
In the years to com.
The country is asking for the government to step in and do something about it so is there are a fix that wouldn't involve.
Say I think of soda taxes and salty snack taxes which you are starting to see local -- or more regionally.
Yeah well first off -- a little skeptical of of those I think that those are tend to be regressive taxes I don't think they really solve the problem is some evidence that.
People who are DO obese have cut out sugar sodas for example side I don't think -- there's really solve the problem.
You are totally right that the government's different ability of the Obama health care law for example but sixteen million more people on Medicaid and -- -- -- -- Medicaid promised well.
I think that there is some role for the federal government here in terms of reimbursing for effective.
Policies that work so then there's -- there's some evidence that -- reimbursing for.
Surgery geriatric surgery is helpful that reimbursing for pharmacological approaches to to address the problem -- is.
Is helpful but I think that's not the only way to do this I think I think you need to have -- private sector solutions as well.
And there's considerable evidence.
That workplace.
Health program some programs where the employers incentivize you.
To get healthier and taking agent healthier behaviors not just on the eating front but also an exercise.
And on -- quitting smoking that those return real dollars from the investments -- to somewhere in the area of two to three dollars per dollar at best it's so I think you -- see more of that as well.
Quickly yes or no question -- are we past the point of no return.
Oh absolutely not it's it's a problematic issue but but we can fix -- -- great to see thank you -- think -- Troy.
Terrific not so much the market now let's go to the markets right.
