The Cost of Being Obese

The health challenges caused by obesity are well documented, but a new study from George Washington University has shed light on the financial burdens faced by significantly overweight people in America. This graphic from the cost information website HowMuch.net collects data from the study by Ava Dor, Christine Ferguson, Casey Langwith, and Ellen Tan comparing the annual costs of obesity for men and women. Most obviously striking is the difference between costs for men and women: obese women face nearly twice as much of a financial burden than their male counterparts. The researchers found this is due in a large part to wage discrimination faced by obese women, who earn significantly less than non-obese women, a difference that was not apparent in data for obese and non-obese men.

Databtye via The Costs of Being Fat, in Actual Dollars, HowMuch.net. 2016.