The Price of a Pound...

Mexico and the United States made "BIG" news this week.  It was reported that they're the two fattest countries in the world.  How fat are they?  Thirty percent of Mexican adults and 28% of US adults are classified as 'obese', or having a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or greater.  Their expanding waistlines are literally killing hundreds of thousands of people from diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and many others.

Health isn't the only thing that's suffering; this 'large' problem is also having some major effects on wallets.   According to researchers at George Washington University, the annual cost of being obese for a woman in the United States is $4,879 and for a man it's $2,646.  These 'heavy' costs are due to factors such as lost productivity, sick time, medical bills, extra gasoline usage due to extra weight, etc.  The cost of being obese is considerably higher than that of being overweight, which for a woman is $524 and for a man $432. 

Researchers state that the discrepancy in cost between women and men lies in that normal weight women earn more than overweight/obese women and this tends to not be the case in males.  Sexist?  Maybe, but the fact is what it is, and the best way to 'level the playing field' is to maintain a healthy diet, lifestyle and weight. 

Think about it.  Many people say eating healthy is expensive and exercise takes time.  It appears that this is no longer a valid or even justifiable excuse.  What would you do with an extra $4000???

Comments...