PRNewswire, 05/23/07 - A study sponsored by Anthem BCBS and MaineHealth indicates that physical inactivity and excess weight are costing Maine's economy a conservatively estimated $2.56 billion in avoidable medical and workers' compensation costs and lost productivity each year.
The study quantifies the economic costs of inactivity and excess weight for Maine, in addition to the already well-documented cost in lives lost and diminished quality of life. The quantified the cost of three important risk factors -- physical inactivity, overweight and obesity -- on three major cost components -- medical care, workers' compensation, and lost productivity. Like other studies conducted in seven other states, the cost of these three risk factors in Maine is staggering and warrant immediate attention and corrective action.
According to the report, the costs mainly impact employers in the form of more expensive health insurance and lost productivity. Direct and indirect costs of the risk factor physical inactivity totaled $1.289 billion, while risk factors for overweight and obesity totaled $414 million and $863 million, respectively. Lost productivity (absenteeism, presenteeism, short-term disability, and on-the-job injury) in direct and indirect costs totaled $2.09 billion annually based on 2004 data.
The study suggests that without changes in lifestyle, the costs are likely to get worse. Unless current trends towards increased weight and less physical activity are slowed or reversed, the total impact on Maine's economy will rise to $3.10 billion in 2009, a cumulative 5-year increase of more than 21%.
The bulk of the cost of this epidemic is borne directly by employers and taxpayers, but it affects everyone. In fact, the report divides the annual cost by the number of Maine residents, giving a per person, per year cost of nearly $2,000.
The report says that nearly 47% of Maine adults are physically inactive, 43.9% are overweight and almost 30% of Maine adults are obese according to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The good news is that if just 5% of inactive Maine adults took a brisk 20 minute walk five times per week, the savings to Maine's economy would total more than $150 million a year or $750 million over five years.
Workplace wellness programs are becoming increasingly common in businesses throughout the state. Anthem has hosted a series of statewide conferences on wellness, including an upcoming conference on May 31 on the role of communities in encouraging physical activity and a healthy diet in Maine children and adults. A copy of the summary report can be found at
www.anthem.com/maine/weightstudy.