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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.

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$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

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