News release: Colorado - Denver/Boulder

October 25, 2004

For more information, call:
Jacque Murphy Montgomery
Kaiser Permanente, Media Relations Coordinator
Phone: (303) 344-7410
Pager: (303) 203-8243
E-mail: Jacque.Montgomery@kp.org

Kaiser Permanente researchers track the numbers to what's creating the increased costs of obesity

Prescription costs contribute most to increased health care costs

Denver, CO – Kaiser Permanente researchers have found that obese persons consume greater numbers of prescription medications and have higher prescription drug costs and higher overall health care costs compared to nonobese patients. Increased prescription drug costs are the most important contributor to that cost for obese persons.

The study published in today's Archives of Internal Medicine is believed to be the first ever to control for chronic diseases in obese and nonobese patients who are similar in age, sex and socioeconomic status. It looked at the use of a variety of health care resources that make up the cost of providing care to these patients over a one-year period. The study compared 1764 persons—539 obese persons and 1225 nonobese persons. Significant findings include:

The median total costs for obese persons were $585.44 compared to $333.24 for nonobese persons. A $252.20 difference.
The median prescription costs were $357.65 for obese patients compared to $157.86. A $181.79 difference.
Men consumed 21 percent less in health care dollars than did women.
Obese persons used more medications to treat chronic illnesses such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, musculoskeletal disorders and certain cancers.
For each additional chronic disease, costs increased by 53 percent.

"Our study confirms what we've long suspected, that obesity does have a significant impact on the cost of care even over the relatively short time period of one year. Our findings spotlight the need to tackle obesity as a serious threat to public health," said Kaiser Permanente lead investigator Marsha Raebel, PharmD.

To obtain an abstract of the study, visit www.archinternmed.com.

Kaiser Permanente is a non-profit health plan and the largest private health care provider in Colorado. For the second year in a row, the National Committee for Quality Assurance has rated Kaiser Permanente Colorado among the top ten accredited health care organizations in the country for clinical quality. Kaiser Permanente cares for more than 417,000 members in the Denver/Boulder and Colorado Springs areas. Kaiser Permanente physicians and care teams focus on prevention as well as curing disease, all in an effort to help patients live well and thrive. You can find us on the Web at www.kaiserpermanente.org.