JEC Report: Obesity Epidemic Costs USA Trillions of Dollars

Obesity will cost the United States trillions of dollars in excess medical expenditures over the next decade, according to a new report from Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee (JEC).

Last year, Republicans on the JEC estimated that obesity would cost the federal government $4.1 trillion over the next 10 years, but this year's estimate is between $8.2 trillion and $9.1 trillion over the decade, the Washington Examiner reported.

The new calculation includes government spending on healthcare through Medicare and Medicaid, as well as private spending on obesity.

The headline $9.1 trillion figure does not factor in the growing embrace of new obesity-fighting GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro into its calculation.

These new medications have the potential to be a game changer for obesity, with 12% of adults reported taking them, according to a recent survey by health care policy think tank KFF.

They can reduce calorie intake by 20% to 30% daily.

But without insurance coverage, the cost of drugs like Ozempic can be nearly $1,000 per month. Even with insurance, it can be up to $300.

But as GLP-1s come off their patents, prices are expected to fall. Two GLP-1s are set to do so this year.

"If prices fall enough to where it becomes cost-effective for the federal government to cover these drugs, GLP-1s could drastically improve the nation's overall fiscal situation, while ensuring Americans live longer, healthier lives," the report read.

Obese people have an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, strokes, and asthma.

The share of adults suffering from obesity will rise from between 44.9% and 47.5% this year to between 51.4% and 56.6% by 2034.

The report found the obesity epidemic is reducing labor supply and productivity, and the economy is expected to be between $13.5 trillion and $14.7 trillion smaller over the next decade because of obesity.

Up to $2.6 trillion in tax revenue will also be lost as a result of the health crisis, according to the report.

"In the next decade, obesity and related diseases will cost as much as $9.1 trillion in excess medical spending," JEC Vice Chairman David Schweikert, R-Ariz., told the Examiner. "If we help Americans be healthier, we can vastly enhance their quality of life and improve the nation's fiscal future."

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