Fat People Cheaper to Treat, Study Says
February 5, 2008 By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer(AP) -- Preventing obesity and smoking can save lives, but it doesn't save money, researchers reported Monday. It costs more to care for healthy people who live years longer, according to a Dutch study that counters the common perception that preventing obesity would save governments millions of dollars.
Content from The Associated Press expires 15 days after original publication date. For more information about The Associated Press, please visit www.ap.org .
Similar stories from PHYSorg:
Ethics debate over blood from newborn safety tests
Feb 08, 2010 |
5 / 5 (1) |
1
New research on type 2 diabetes could benefit young adults with the condition
Feb 01, 2010 |
not rated yet |
0
Study prompts calls for Europe-wide salt legislation
Jan 26, 2010 |
1.8 / 5 (4) |
0
More blood pressure worry: It's linked to dementia
Jan 26, 2010 |
5 / 5 (4) |
0
Weight training improves cognitive function in seniors
Jan 25, 2010 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0



"The study, paid for by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, did not take into account other potential costs of obesity and smoking, such as lost economic productivity or social costs."
...without which, the entire exercise is meaningless. What matters to society at large is the total net cost or benefit of a lifestyle. What we need to know is has the Fat/Smoking/Healthy person been a net burden on society or a net benefactor. I would guess that of them all, the smokers are the biggest net contributors because, in the UK at least, we already know that they pay, in taxes, more than 9 times the cost of their medical treatment so they're subsidising the rest of us. Thankyou smokers!