A new research by John Cawley of Cornell University and Chad Meyerhoefer of Lehigh University recently released by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that yearly spending for obesity-related medical conditions is much higher than originally believed.

The new study revealed that the medical costs for obesity care is around US168 billion, comprising 17% of the total healthcare spending – more than the US147B (9%) often cited by federal health officials that was put forth in a research done last year. Even the additional individual expenses arising from obesity that was pegged at $1,400 in the earlier study was found to be twice as much.

Authors Cawley and Meyerhoefer doubted the accuracy of first study, as most people understate their ages, resulting in lower estimates for medical expenses than actual costs. The researchers adjusted the data to remove the discrepancy and come up with more believable figures.

Photo Credited: california cowgirl1

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