Obesity does not drive sky-rocketing health spending
19 May 2023
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25 June 2024
Christopher Snowdon quoted in The Express
IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon has been referenced in The Daily Express responding to claims that high obesity is driving the UK’s record health spending.
The article said:
“Doubt has been cast on research which shows obese patients cost the NHS twice as much as people with a healthy weight. The landmark study reveals that an average £1,375 is spent per year on the heaviest patients while those not overweight cost the health service an average of £638 annually. But Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) expert Christopher Snowdon said: ‘It is the ageing population that is raising healthcare costs in Britain and around the world, not obesity.’
“Mr Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the IEA, pointed to research from 2017 which shows savings of £3.6billion per year as a result of overweight and obese people dying early.
“That study argues that public health campaigners’ narrative that overweight and obese people are a burden on the taxpayer is overblown and incites resentment of a “vulnerable” group.
“Mr Snowdon also tweeted a link to a 2008 study carried out in The Netherlands which concluded tackling obesity effectively reduces the cost of treating diseases linked to the condition, but the drop was offset by the increase in spending on illnesses related to old age.”
Read the full article here.
The article said:
“Doubt has been cast on research which shows obese patients cost the NHS twice as much as people with a healthy weight. The landmark study reveals that an average £1,375 is spent per year on the heaviest patients while those not overweight cost the health service an average of £638 annually. But Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) expert Christopher Snowdon said: ‘It is the ageing population that is raising healthcare costs in Britain and around the world, not obesity.’
“Mr Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the IEA, pointed to research from 2017 which shows savings of £3.6billion per year as a result of overweight and obese people dying early.
“That study argues that public health campaigners’ narrative that overweight and obese people are a burden on the taxpayer is overblown and incites resentment of a “vulnerable” group.
“Mr Snowdon also tweeted a link to a 2008 study carried out in The Netherlands which concluded tackling obesity effectively reduces the cost of treating diseases linked to the condition, but the drop was offset by the increase in spending on illnesses related to old age.”
Read the full article here.
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