The Counterweight Project Team documented the obvious in their paper ‘The impact of obesity on drug prescribing in primary care’:1 physical activity and weight loss produce better health and save money of the tax payers.
In the US, CDC has estimated that a sustained 10% weight loss will reduce an overweight person's lifetime medical costs by $2200–5300 by lowering costs associated with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and high cholesterol.
This does not take into account other resources consumed by problems such as orthopaedic related issues.
Prevention by means of lifestyle education is of paramount importance.
Upon this point of view, I wonder why GPs do not get ‘points’ on the basis of the results achieved in controlling the BMI of the patients in their list.
- © British Journal of General Practice, 2005.
