Obesity-Related Healthcare Spending Up 29 Percent Since 2001, Study Suggests.

reports a study from Cornell University found that US medical expenditures “focused on obesity-related procedures and therapies for adults” increased 29 percent from 2001 to 2015, although the percentages varied by state. The study’s co-author, John Cawley, said, “We have, for the first time, estimated the percentage of health care spending that is devoted to obesity, using microdata for each state.” For instance, over 20 percent of Medicaid spending in Kentucky and Wisconsin is for obesity-related illnesses, compared to 10.9 percent in New York. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/u-s-healthcare-costs-29-obesity-article-1.3816398