Fitness and Finances #1: The Cost of Poor Health
The cost of poor health is not just financial. Sure the money spent on doctor's visits and prescriptions adds up. But what about missed family functions or inability to do the activities you love?
Is your lifestyle leading you towards worse health and chronic disease? Increased medical costs, pain, apathy, countless pills to take, side effects and the list goes on?
Over the top? Maybe. But statistics may suggest otherwise.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states:
Chronic diseases and conditions—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis—are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problem [1]
Statistically, if you are reading this blog, you have a fairly high chance of living with a preventable chronic condition. Half of all adults have one or more chronic health conditions and one-third are obese. [1] Treating chronic diseases accounts for most of our nation’s health care costs. [2]
Let’s zoom in to a personal level. Missed work due to chronic health conditions costs an average of $1685 per employee annually. [3] While employers do absorb much of that cost, there are many people who do not have sick leave from their job. That means missed work costs them vacation leave and money.
Hypertension (high blood pressure) costs $733 annually, or $61 monthly. [4] Expenses on diabetes is almost $8000 annually, or over $650 a month. [5] It gets worse, heart disease costs almost $19000 per patient per year. That is almost $1600 a month! [6] Obesity, likely the most obvious in terms of being a preventable lifestyle disease, takes the cake. And then eats the cake, the whole cake, with extra icing. The lifetime cost of obesity is over $90000. [7] Are these figures staggering you yet? They staggered me.
I am not living under a rock but I still did not grasp just how much these diseases are taking their toll on us. Chronic health conditions accounts for 7 of 10 deaths. That means 70% of the people you know are going to die earlier than they should because they are not taking care of themselves. It is highly likely that you are one of those seven. Do you have a spouse, children, or grandchildren? Do you want to live long and enjoy activities with them?
From the CDC:
A 1% annual reduction in the level of four health risks—weight, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol—has been shown to save $83 to $103 annually in medical costs per person. [3]
One percent. Do you think a qualified trainer can improve your health markers by one percent? If one percent improvement saves you $100 in costs, what can 5% or 10% do? This is not a linear relationship, the closer you get to normal health markers the more you will save and the greater you will feel.
Have you compared the cost of doing nothing with the cost of hiring me to help?
Can you even put a price tag on feeling great? On playing with your kids? On being around for another holiday with family?
Change your lifestyle, make it work for you, not against you. You can’t afford not to!
Be sure to check out other parts of this series!
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/workplace-health.htm
http://piperreport.com/blog/2013/05/13/health-care-spending-hypertension-cost-high-blood-pressure/
http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy/news-events/cost-of-diabetes.html?referrer=https://www.google.com
http://www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2010/2010-03-vol16-n03/ajmc_10marnicholswebx_e86to93
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/05/15/New-Lifetime-Estimate-Obesity-Costs-92235-person
