Recent estimates suggest that obesity accounts for 5.7% of US total direct health care costs, but these estimates have not accounted for the increased death rate among obese people. This article examines whether the estimated direct health care costs attributable to obesity are offset by the increased mortality rate among obese individuals.
Obesity Research Center, St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10025, USA. dba8@columbia.edu
