Despite higher medical costs for obese, employers unlikely to pay for prevention programs

Even with shorter life expectancies, the lifetime medical costs for obese individuals are greater than costs for non-obese individuals (Source: "Study Finds Lifetime Medical Costs of Obesity Unlikely to Spur Obesity Prevention Efforts," RTI International, May 29, 2008). However, those costs are unlikely to spur obesity prevention efforts from employers, according to a new study published by researchers at RTI International and Merck & Co.

"Because individuals switch jobs every four to five years, employers are unlikely to reap the financial benefits of successful obesity interventions" said Eric Finkelstein, Ph.D. director of RTI's Public Health Economics Program and the study's lead author. "For young workers, the truly detrimental effects of obesity typically occur far in the future, when the costs become somebody else’s problem, ultimately Medicare."

The study was published on-line in the journal Obesity.