http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20071002/hl_hsn/obesitydrivingrisingushealthcosts">Obesity Driving Rising U.S. Health Costs
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter Tue Oct 2, 7:01 PM ET
TUESDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) --
Obesity is a big factor driving soaring rates of chronic disease in the United States,
with many more Americans chronically ill than their European counterparts, a new study finds.
It's an expensive problem, too: According to researchers, chronic illnesses such as diabetes
and heart disease account for some $100 to $150 billion in health-care spending in the United
States each year.
"The United States spends twice as much as European countries on health care," noted lead
researcher Kenneth Thorpe, chairman of the department of health policy and management at
Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta.
"Seventy-five percent of
what we spend in this country is associated with patients that have one or more chronic
conditions and most of the growth is due to obesity."More........