Mixed
Reductions in Body Mass Index (BMI) among obese US adults (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m²) result in statistically significant, non-linear savings in annual medical care expenditures, with savings increasing exponentially as starting BMI and diabetes status increase.
If you are obese (BMI 35+), losing weight provides significant medical cost savings, especially if you have diabetes. The higher your starting BMI, the greater the financial and health benefit per pound lost. For those with BMI 30-35, the medical cost savings from weight loss may not be statistically significant, but for BMI 40+, the savings are substantial.
The savings from a given percent reduction in BMI are greater the heavier the obese individual, and are greater for those with diabetes than for those without diabetes.
Why this rating
Uses a robust instrumental variable (IV) approach on large, nationally representative data (MEPS 2000-2010) to address endogeneity and reporting error, providing strong causal inference for economic outcomes.
Source
Savings in Medical Expenditures Associated with Reductions in Body Mass Index Among US Adults with Obesity, by Diabetes Status
John Cawley et al. · PharmacoEconomics · 2014
DOI 10.1007/s40273-014-0230-2
Related findings · Mixed
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