Ignoring your body can be expensive

Image Source: Driano Studios

The subject of obesity is nothing new. Not new to society. Not new to me and my blogging. Not new to my beliefs.

I stand firm on my belief that obesity is a result of inaction, not a stricken disease. It is 100% preventable, and 100% treatable.

Obesity is what you get when you ignore the signs of health. Ignore what you body is telling you, and find everything available to excuse your lack of action.

We in the health care field have seen first hand what happens when you ignore what your body is telling you. Give it long enough, and your body will find some very horrible and painful way to let you know something is wrong. I think the key element to the obesity problem is that it isn’t immediate. It doesn’t happen overnight. Not only does it not ‘happen’ overnight, it cannot be ‘fixed’ overnight as well. To truly lose weight you must possess a great deal of patience. ‘Time and Temperance’ is what I always say. If you can imagine how long it took you to put on that weight. It will take roughly 3-4 times as long to get rid of it safely, effectively and permanently. Anything else is temporary, and a waste of your time.

I thought I’d tackle a new ‘angle’ of the obesity ‘plague’.

Are you concerned with money? You’re money? The money you earn? The money you spend? How about money and it’s use in health care? (Did that get your attention?)

A recent study decided to see just how much obesity really costs.Now this of course is not 100% accurate, nor is it pointing fingers at any specific aspect of health care and obesity. What it does is simply enlighten the public.

“Obese Americans spend about 42 percent more on health care than normal-weight Americans, according to a new study based on 2006 figures.

Medical spending on obesity-related conditions is estimated to have reached $147 billion a year in 2008, according to the new study, published online on Monday in the journal Health Affairs. That figure represents almost 10 percent of all medical spending, the study found.

Obese Americans spend about $1,429 more on health care each year than the roughly $3,400 spent by normal-weight Americans.”

In today’s economy I’d think the numbers alone would motivate someone to lose weight. These numbers are quite astounding if you ask me. 42% is quite a bit. All that extra expense could in fact be eliminated. Eliminate extra expenses and be rewarded with a healthier you? Hmm? What’s the bad part about that solution?

It still amazes me the extensive amount of money, and time, and effort we will put into material things like a car, or our home, or heck even a computer. But yet, we forget about tending to the one thing we can’t replace.

You only get one body, you might want to take better care of it.