Besides increases in disease and
mortality there are other implications
of the present world trend in obesity.
Among these are:
- Increased pressure on airline
revenues (or increased fares) due
to lobbying efforts to increase
seating width on commercial
airplanes and due to higher fuel
costs. (Extra weight of obese
passengers is costing airlines and
consumers US$275,000,000 per
annum.
- Increased litigation by obese
persons suing restaurants (over
causation of obesity) and airlines
(over airline seating width). Note
that the Personal Responsibility in
Food Consumption Act of 2005 was
motivated by a need to reduce
litigation from obesity
activists.
- Sizable societal economic costs
attributable to obesity, with
medical costs attributable to
obesity rising to 78.5 billion
dollars or 9.1 percent of all
medical expenditures in the U.S. as
of 1998. However, such studies do
not necessarily consider that
earlier mortality of obese people
may save health costs associated
with aging.
- Decreased worker productivity
as measured by usage of disability
leave and absenteeism at work.
- A study examining Duke
University employees found that
those with a BMI>40 filed twice
as many workers compensation claims
as workers whose BMI was 18.5-24.9,
and had more than 12 times as many
lost work days. The most common
injuries were due to falls and
lifting, and affected the lower
extremities, wrists or hands, and
backs.