Obesity now an illness

Medicare now considers obesity to be an illness. In other words, Jenny Craig could soon be receiving government funds to treat obese patients. Medicare and Medicaid are already busting the fiscal scales and with nearly 30 percent of Americans already obese and some 60 percent overweight this now adds another burden to the system.

More on the economics of obesity here and here. A short review of the economics of obesity written by myself can be found here.

Addendum: Thanks to Daniel Akst for adding more weight to my discussion.

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