Morbid Obesity Extracts Heavy Toll In California
A new study finds California spent $9.1 billion treating people with morbid obesity in 2013.
A new study in the journal Health Affairs finds California spent $9.1 billion treating people who were morbidly obese in 2013.
The report reveals the nationwide costs of treating morbid obesity were $69 billion in 2013.
People who are severely obese are at least 50 percent above their ideal body weight. The study estimates 3.2 million Californians fall into that category.
Dr. Santiago Horgan, UC San Diego professor of surgery, said it’s not simply a matter of bad eating habits.
“Sometimes you have a genetic predisposition to be obese," Horgan said. "So, obesity’s not about eating cheeseburgers. It’s a much more complex disease.”
People who are morbidly obese are at high risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
