Obesity hitting California's economy in a big way, study finds

 

Obesity and inactivity is becoming a major drain on the state's economy, according to a report released this morning.

The report, by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA), said that the economic cost of obesity in terms of health care costs and other factors is an estimated $41 billion a year in the state. Obesity has contributed to increases in total health care costs and a decline in worker productivity, the report found.

The study, produced by examining health care data and existing scientific research, found that the costs of obesity in Los Angeles County is $11.9 billion, $3.3 billion in Orange County and $3 billion in San Diego County.

“These rapidly escalating costs paint an alarming picture for our state,” says Dr. Harold Goldstein, executive director of the CCPHA, in a statement.  “They underscore the need to build community health and prevention into public policies at every level, from national health care reform and the state’s use of federal stimulus funding to regional growth and local policies that help people to eat healthy food and be more physically active.”

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: An unidentified man takes a walk. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images 

Comments

[CalGodot]

Those links to public documents require passwords. Is the incompetence at the state or LA Times level?

[kermode]

The only way to combat this is to forbid companies from making the sick crap they call food.
Of course this won't happen in america.

Its ironic, what terrorist and armies haven't be able to - the americans are doing to them selves - they are eating themselves into oblivion.

[theCanimal]

Should taxpayers subsidize those who smoke or eat themselves into morbid obesity? Is it child abuse for parents to let their children become obese?

[Kathy]

Good, all those fat women that fanned their faces when I was a smoker will now get theirs-bout time.

[carlsbadcrawler]

Maybe it is time to bring back company softball teams?
Employers need to be more proactive about the fitness of their workers other than a 10% coupon to the gym. They should get rid of the 'workaholism is good' ethic and consider the idea that reducing healthcare costs adds to the bottom line more than lashing their employees to their desks in their moldy old offices. Try cleaning out your filthy AC ducts once in a while, too.

[Laura]

Get fast food out of low-income neighborhoods, and get grocery stores and farmers markets in.

[viewer]

TAX SODA AND JUNK FOOD NOW!

[m]

Gotta love the effects of an immigrant population who does nothing but eat unhealthy "cultural" food and are content to be baby factories...

[Bill]

There are weight loss options in Los Angeles that are very effective. Check out: http://kalologie.com/md-weight-loss-system/
for info on how to lose weight.

[Manuel]

So is drug abuse, alcoholism, and lifestyles that lead to acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. However, they do not want to go into that.

[Jim Williams]

Fixing the obesity epidemic requires understanding what's fueling it. From what I've read, one of the main culprits is high-fructose corn syrup. Putting a stiff sales tax on that stuff could do wonders. (And use the sales revenues to fund bike trails and other nice exercise-friendly programs, of course.)

[LAofAnaheim]

Does this has anything to do with California's sprawl development? In other world-class cities, people walk to their destinations or are close to a local metro station and not trapped with having to sit in a car and valet to their destination. California should promote more urban / mixed-use / and especially transit adjacent development so that Californians walk and exercise more.

[Pam Logan]

California is one of the thinnest states in the nation. If obesity costs in California, then it's costing BIG in the rest of the country.

Yet another reason to reform our health care system.

[Tracyt]

SIN TAXES: Tax the heck out of fast food, sugar, soda, alcohol, and everything else that allows people to gain weight. It will force people to go the grocery store, buy healthy food and cook it themselves. Cut off all funding for obese people, if they don't have health care then maybe it will scare them enough to start eating healthy, start exersicing, and improving their health. If they choose to eat the fatty foods and cosume the unhealthy drinks, them make them pay for it!!!

[Susana Benavidez]

The obesity problem is not only among the immigrant population, whatever that may mean "M"; obesity is everywhere mirrored in every color of skin and background- legal or not.

It is not the employers nor the governments duty to babysit the health of their employees; the individual needs to stop abusing their own bodies with toxic food and get up and go for a walk.

The lack of time excuse is ridiculous, I am a mother of two, work full time and go to school yet I make the time at 5 in the morning to go for a run and I walk whenever possible.

Going for short walks during your lunch break is a great way to get the blood pumping in the middle of the day. It increases blood circulation, your ability to focus at work and your work productivity improves. Not to mention that it makes you feel better and curves any cravings for "bad" food.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out how to be healthy: exercise, limit intake of processed foods, limit eating out, and make your own food so you know who the guilty party is when you step on that scale.

[LA Tourist]

Every time I visit LA, I never see any fat people. I always thought they weren't allowed in. Everyone is so perfect looking.

[anon]

In a related story, a new study found that people cost the state of California hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

"It's simple: If we could eliminate people, we could eliminate 100% of our current and future budget gaps," said Prof. Richard Cranyum, the architect of the study.

[Phil]

Obesity, like other addictive behavior, is most often a psychological response to affective, social realities. If we would build a more "user friendly" society, one where an individual is percieved as more than a worker who is only measured by his/her "productivity" to the benefit of the corporate structure, then and only then might we get somewhere with ALL addictions.

Until then, get ready to continue paying up as this society is getting meaner, more superficial, and more depressing with each passing generation!

[KK]

Education on eat what you need, not what you can. Don't blame fast food. I eat fast food all the time and I am not even overweight. If you don't need 5000 calorie don't order a super size meal. Might as well blame the planet for producing so much food.

[Ruby Jackson]

High fructose corn syrup is in fact to blame for the problem. It replaced sugar as the sweetener of choice in processed foods and beverages because it was cheaper than sugar. It was cheaper than sugar because the government began subsidizing the corn farmers and they had to make use of all that surplus corn.

[Cameron]

The persona perception of southern California is fitness and health, seems it's really fatness and heavy. There are two factors that control body size, diet & exercise. The American diet needs to change and exercise incentives from business and government need to be implemented.

[Mary Ellen]

I invite anyone who thinks California has a lot of fat people to visit OREGON & WASHINGTON STATE. It seems every other person here is FAT AND OBESE.

[AJ]

In a related story, a new study found that people cost the state of California hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

"It's simple: If we could eliminate people, we could eliminate 100% of our current and future budget gaps," said Prof. Richard Cranyum, the architect of the study.

Wow, not since Jonathan Swift my friend.

[Steve C.]

Look at K-12 cafeterias and college food courts and you'll quickly see how difficult it is to eat healthy.

Also, gyms seem to be organized to best serve supermen and women. I would suggest that gyms and other facilities have times and trainers that specifically target those of us who do not have stellar physiques.

Although I would personally hate it, large employers should do a fitness evaluation to help employees create food and exercise programs that are catered to the individual's fitness level and schedule. This is a lot cheaper that employers spending more on heath insurance for out of shape employees.

I know that some will cry Big Brother, but let's face it, America is FAT. We have become a couch potato culture. We need to change it. Now is the opportunity to make changes, as a national health insurance program becomes a reality.

[John Smith]

Problem is, this won't change until people decide to change their behaviors - eat less, eat better and move more. Taxing "big bad corporations" won't do a thing to change individual consumption habits. Smoking didn't start to decline until you made the smokers pay massive surcharges and priced them out of the decision. It's gonna be extremely difficult to tax categories of food w/out getting buried in grey areas, esp since a big part of it's about "how much" more than "what". But finding a way to pass the real costs of consumption choices on to the consumer is the only way to fix this.