96 / 106
$153 billion dollars. Who makes up for the loss? In many cases we, the con-
sumers, pay in increased prices companies must charge to stay profitable.
Even the cost to businesses and productivity, however, do not complete
our weight-related bill. Think about the billions of dollars the diet industry
rakes in by marketing false hope. Even when we try to remedy our weight
problems, it costs us big time. According to Santa Clara University,
Americans are currently spending $40 billion per year on dieting and diet-
related products. Almost half of American women and one in four men say
they’re on a diet. Half of American nine- and ten-year-old girls say dieting
94 / Health Issues Caused by Obesity
Make Connections:
Unexpected Costs of Obesity
Gas: Americans use 938 million extra gallons of gas
and 350 million gallons of airline fuel due to
increased weight.
Transportation: Commuter trains in New York are
considering changing it so that each seat has a
maximum weight capacity of 400 pounds, and
train seats on New Jersey transit have been
widened an extra 2.2 inches.
Work: $130 billion are lost each year due to absen-
teeism, short-term disability, and a decrease in
productivity.
(Source: Top Nursing Programs)