For Extremely Obese, Surgery Can Shrink Costs As Well As Pants Size
Although weight-loss aiding gastric bypass and gastric band surgeries are expensive, they can save big bucks for not only those who undergo the procedures but, more importantly, taxpayers who fund costly fatty maintenance via Medicare.
A Las Vegas Sun story spotlights Vincent Daswell, who slashed his weight more than 100 pounds from his high of 380.
The story breaks down Daswell's simultaneous slimming of body and budget:
• In the first five months of 2008, taxpayers provided Daswell with 17 medications for obesity-related health problems at a cost of $8,374.19.
• In the first five months of 2009, taxpayers provided Daswell with 13 medications for obesity-related health problems, many at reduced dosages, at a cost of $5,106.54.
It's a simple measure, but shows a savings of $3,267.65 in the five months, a 39 percent reduction in expenses in drugs alone.
The surgery and first year of follow-up cost $16,000, but the story says that cost would be made up within two years by the reduced pharmaceutical bills alone. So if Obama is serious about health care reform he may as well subsidize free gastric bypass clinics at every Walgreens.
The hidden cost of obesity [Las Vegas Sun]
(Photo: Earth2Kim)
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Comments:
Well it won't matter in a few months when national healthcare replaces Medicare and Medicaid. They'll probably refuse to cover the cost of the drugs or the surgery. Much more cost effective that way.
"Fatty maintenance?" Seriously? Way to obscure a good point with needless name calling.
@bohemian: At one point, I would have disagreed with you, but I have lost 15 pounds, and have noticed the amount of shit out there. The biggest thing I have noticed- it's far cheaper to eat that crap than to buy the healthy stuff. Vegetables are pretty expensive when compared with the dollar menu.
@bohemian: I also agree with you about the social views as well- being obese is unhealthy. Hiding behind "that's the way I am" and "I'm beautiful the way I am" does nothing.
@bohemian: Having lost 75 pounds in the last year just by watching what I eat and walking more, I agree with you. People don't realize -what- they're eating, and at least in my case, once I got used to eating less, overeating was almost impossible.
The current healthcare system puts too much emphasis on treatment instead of prevention. For example, look at flexible spending accounts. Things like Multivitamins, calcium supplements and sunblock are not covered, but you can always use the FSA money to pay for treating bone fractures or for treating cancer.
How about the long overdue FAT TAX? Charge an exponentially higher tax once people get over the 20% body fat mark. It is unfair for those of us who respect ourselves to foot their bill. I saw something on the news the other day about people pushing for obesity to be considered a disability. NO, you brought it upon yourself. People in wheelchairs did not CHOOSE to belly up to the buffet every day for a decade.
I had the surgery done about 18 months ago and have lost about 170 pounds (250 down from 430) so far.
I definitely don't eat out as much which cuts cost.
When I do order out it has become alot cheaper.
I used to be able to finish an order of cheese sticks and a large pizza from Papa Johns.
Now I'm full after 2-3 slices. So a pizza will last me 3 meals.
Also I can get full on a small fry and a double cheese burger. So $2 rather then the $7 or so for a super-sized value meal.
u mad, fatty?
@ThinkerTDM: Agreed. The "I'm beautiful the way I am" movement was created (and rightfully so) to combat eating disorders and help people who are healthy and in shape but don't look like supermodels. It's gone too far, though, and it's doing a disservice to the millions of people in this country who are obese and faced with weight-related health issues.
@CarbonFiberFootprint: I guess you didn't get the memo that susceptibility to obesity can be caused by many other factors than gluttony. For one easy example, the new atypical anti-psychotics used to treat schizophrenia cause rapid and massive weight gain. To the point where the incidence of Type 2 diabetes skyrockets. This is undisputed, and the only wrangling about it is who pays for those side effects.
Obesity can also be caused by genetics, environment, or many other factors.
Yes, some simply do consume too much, but slapping a punitive tax on everyone who does not meet your standards is stupid and unfair.
@CarbonFiberFootprint: A lot of people don't choose to be fat. You're just going by common stereotypes and know nothing of what you're talking about. People are more likely to be fat because of medical conditions and/or genetic reasons then because they chose "to belly up to the buffet every day for a decade."
I'm not Incredibly Obese Black Man, I'm Incredibly Black Obese Man.
It should be added that these kinds of surgeries are incredibly dangerous (even potentially fatal) and aren't for everyone. You have to go through a complete lifestyle change after one of these surgeries; that's why people have to meet with therapists before they get an approval. They have to show the commitment to changing and adhering to the guidelines.
@CarbonFiberFootprint: Um, no. Women can easily hit the 20% mark without being obese or unhealthy by any stretch of the imagination. Last I checked, I'm around 19%, and I'm 5 foot 10 and 150 pounds, putting me at a BMI of about 21.5, which is in the healthy range. I eat well, I go to the gym regularly, I ran 2.5 miles the other day, and yet I'm 1% away from getting hit by your Fat Tax? Right.
The real reason why people want to eliminate obesity is because it is UGLY and they don't like LOOKING at it. Do you really think for a minute that people care about the well-being of others? If they did, they would learn to mind their own business and clean their own house first...
That guy was taking 17 different medications?
DAM!!
'tard
@squinko:
Mortality rate is around 0.1 % last time I looked.
I had to be on a physician monitored diet for 6 months, had a sleep study done, and a psychological examination before having the surgery done.
@bohemian: There's several farmer markets and produce markets where I live. Produce is dirt cheap(Pineapples for $.75, vine ripe tomatoes for $.69/lb come to mind) there so there NO reason to get produce from any grocery store.
@mahpartysocks: Is it worse than "skinny"?
It's just a descriptor. Unless you think the descriptor "fat" is inherently bad, it shouldn't be offensive.
@CarbonFiberFootprint: "Disability" doesn't mean "didn't do it to yourself." People who severed their spinal cords drunk driving are just as disabled as the people who incurred their injury when hit by a drunk driver, and there's no difference in their legal and medical standing. Whether your lung cancer comes from your own smoking or exposure to asbestos in your workplace, you get treated.
Which I think is good thing anyway. I understand that you may not, but your arguing as if the system were different than it is.
@CarbonFiberFootprint: I DO belly up to the buffet every time i go; 4-5 visits with a full plate each time and desert. At McD, it's 3-4 plain double cheeseburgers and large fries, or steak&cheese bagels if it's the brekkie menu. I've ate this way for years (when I was a teen, I'd have 3-4 candy bars and 2 cans of soda on the bus home, every day)
I'm 5'11 and 153lb. My wife eats like a bird, she's not as lucky in her metabolism. It isn't what you eat most of the time. Hell, until a few years ago, I was considered underweight (when I was 23, I was 123lb)
@bohemian:
I'd prefer if people made their own choices rather than the government deciding what we should and shouldn't eat. Also, I am tired of the government subsidizing the poor.
As much as we'd like to paint obese people as hapless victims, the vast majority are that way through personal choices and decisions, and nothing more. Not glandular problems, not genes, just the fact they like to eat, and eat lots of bad things, and they don't want to do the hard work to maintain a good body. It's a hard truth.
@squinko: As often as possible I try to think like an economist. I've wondered, do fat parents have fat kid because of genetics or because they have unhealthy eating & living habits that they in turn pass on to their kids? Is it genetics or do fat parents prepare fat filled meals for their kids?
@Featherstonehaugh: What do you mean "clean their own house first"? That people who are fit and healthy should get fit and healthy first?
@sirwired:
You say "some" over consume, but I'd wager that amount is more along the lines of 90% do, and 10% can be blamed more on genetics.
I'd say your theory falls apart due to the fact that most foreign nations that have different foods (not fried, fatty, etc), and the landscape is more tuned for walking...typically have VERY few obese people.
@mahpartysocks: Agreed. The article makes a good point, but the namecalling is unnecessarily offensive and damages crediblity.
@kateblack: I don't think there's anything wrong with "fat" as a descriptor, but "fatty" is different. To more clearly understand my point, consider that "dark" is just fine... and now imagine the response upon calling somone "darky".
They could save a lot of money if they did that. It's the same way they pay for childbirth but not birth control. Um...hello.
I'm always a fan of preventative medicine and curing the underlying problem rather than dealing with symptoms, so I'm OK with this. But, now, where's the surgery to stop people from smoking, drinking to excess, or lazing around the house all day and only getting sun/exercise when the snow needs to be wiped off of the satellite?
@godai: Hear, hear! I had the surgery in Jan '09, and am down to 277 from 381.5 the day of my surgery.
I can't eat anything like I did before, and the cost of my healthcare, minus the surgery has gone way, way, way down (see what I did there).
@Saboth: Thank you. Americans love to find excuses for their poor habits. Its genetics thats why I am obese, right. I was always a heavy girl, I came from a family that loved to shove food down your throat but I exercise and I try to maintain my weight. I dont blame McDonalds, Burger King or Hostess for my weight issues, I blame myself. If it is genetics you can still exercise, even if it is only walking for 20 minutes a day and cutting your caloric intake.
People choose to eat the french fries over the apple, or drink the soda instead of water, or sit on their fat ass instead of exercising.
I am definitely down for taxing the morbidly obese. Dont want to be taxed? Change your eating habits and lifestyle. It may suck but you will live longer in the end, feel better about yourself, spend less money on food and stop being a burden on our health care system.
@witeowl: I never implied that. I specifically said "fit and healthy". I wonder where you got the skinny part from.
And for the record, "supermodel thin" looks sick too.
I think there ought to be a certain level of nutritional benefit something has to reach in order to be called "food." IMHO, "food" should mean something more than "if you eat this, it will not kill you today." A lot of what is sold as "food" these days is just "edible product." Just making it clear that some things don't count as actual food would help a lot, I think.
@squinko: They may not choose to be fat but they don't do anything to have a healthy lifestyle. Just because you are genetically pre-disposed to be heavy doesn't give you carte blanche to eat crap, be lazy and claim its a disability.
@MostlyHarmless: I was explaining that Featherstnehaugh's point probably wasn't aimed at fit and healhy people; it was likely directed at the great number of people who wag their fingers at "fatties" but get winded at the top of the stairwell (or would if the elevator ever broke down).
@godai: I know it's small, but there's still a chance. You can also have a lot of less severe complications, depending on which type of operation you're talking about ([www.thinnertimes.com]). I just wanted to point this out because a lot of people think these kind of operations should be given out like candy to everyone who's even slightly overweight, even kids.
@witeowl: and maybe people shouldn't be so offended. If you are skinny, fat, black, white, short, tall, a woman, or a man maybe you should accept that you are those things and not be offended when it is mentioned. It is different if it is said to be insulting but that is described with tone, inflection, and the content of the surrounding sentence.
@sirwired:
Obesity is caused by one thing, and one thing only: eating way more calories than you burn. End of story.
Sure, there are conditions or medications that may make you absorb more calories than another person eating the same piece of food, have a lower basal metabolism that causes you to burn fewer calories, or problems with satiety signals that make you want to eat more calories. However, simply put, by restricting the number of calories ingested, all of these can be overcome.
Sure, especially in the case of satiety issues, a person will be unhappy, but that's just the break life threw them.
I can engineer a rat or shoot it up with all kinds of drugs to mess with his metabolism, but if I don't put extra food in his cage, he's not going to get fat. Same with humans. It is a choice, the end.
@HIV 2 Elway: I understand what you're saying, but if you want to be an economist, look at the socioeconomic factors. People who are obese are more likely to be poor and undereducated. They're most likely because they don't have access to healthy food (either because they don't have a store near them that sells it, or they can't afford it), proper medical care (if they have certain conditions that make them fat), they aren't educated about the food groups/food pyramid, and they probably don't know what's "good" and "bad" for them.
A tax on the obese would essentially become a poor tax.
@Adrienne Willis: My mother has hypothyroidism, and I have it. That's genetics and that's why I have trouble losing/not gaining weight, even though I eat right and exercise. The last time we had this discussion, people spoke about their many different illnesses/conditions that made them fat. Please don't discount others' problems just because you hate your family for making you fat.
Also, please explain how taxing people who can't afford healthy food in the first place will help them afford healthy food in the future.
We also need a massive change in the social views of eating and some government policy change in food subsidies.
We have too much overly processed foods with hidden and unnecessary fat, salt and sugar. Chain restaurants work to make people eat more and load the food with fat sugar and salt to make it more appealing. School lunch programs favor manufactured food and subsidized foods like soybeans and corn. Unhealthy foods are cheaper than healthy ones. We need to take all that money used to subsidize soybeans and corn and put that money towards vegetable production and sustainable seafood.