Obesity is Costing Serious Money Worldwide

Many doctors have noticed that if, if they warn their patient that a particular bad health habit might cause an early death, patients tend to shrug it off. If, however, a doctor warns his patients that their poor health might cost them an exorbitant amount of money, people tend to take notice. That's why we at  University Bariatrics were especially intrigued by recent reports at the BBC News web site about a McKinsey Global Institute study that explored the actual cash cost of obesity around the world.

It's pretty clear that whether you're considering a bariatric surgery in Thousand Oaks or Liverpool, you're dealing with a major worldwide problem. Indeed, the study found that about 2.1 billion people, roughly 30 percent of the worldwide population are impacted by obesity. However, in cash terms, the worldwide cost is simply stunning, costing the equivalent of 2.8% of economic activity around the world on a yearly basis.

The BBC put it even more dramatically.

The worldwide cost of obesity is about the same as smoking or armed conflict and greater than both alcoholism and climate change, research has suggested.

If misery loves company, then clearly those of us who are dealing with obesity in the United States have plenty to love. Of course, the better answer is to do whatever you can to avoid the life-shortening and debilitating effects of obesity by taking advantage of such procedures as gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy in Westlake Village/Thousand Oaks with University Bariatrics. We're doing what we can to fight the worldwide war against obesity right here at home.