The Connection Between Overeating and Cancer
Food and nutrients are a necessity to live and thrive. However, consuming too much for this necessity can initiate a deadly chain reaction. Obesity is a disease stemming from various influences, such as the variety of food consumed and socioeconomic influences, but an important influence of this epidemic is overeating.9-12 Additionally, obesity is an epidemic impacting nearly 2 in 3 people within the United State population.1,2 Obesity as a disease is associated with elevated mortality, cancer, high rates of diabetes, hypertension, asthma and various other diseases.2-8 With this epidemic continuing to grow, the diseases correlated to obesity also are becoming more prevalent in society.3-5 Cancer …show more content…
Absenteeism, which is described as avoiding work or school for little to no reason, is a term used to describe an indirect cost of obesity within the nation. Nationwide annual productivity losses due to obesity-related absenteeism are measured between 3.38 billion US dollars (79 US dollars per obese individual) and 6.38 billion US dollars (132 US dollars per obese individual).24 In 2008 alone, the direct annual medical cost of obesity in the US totaled 147 billion US dollars.22 Both the indirect and direct cost due to obesity are a result of the additional diseases obesity causes.22,23 For instance, if an obese individual is experiencing chest or heart pain they may avoid work to prevent further complication, thus causing the company to lose out on revenue. This is an indirect cost of obesity. Additionally, if the same obese individual is experiencing chest pain and goes to see a primary care physician, this will cost money to do so and the individual will like be prescribed medication that will also cost money. This is a direct cost of obesity. The associations between obesity, elevated mortality, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, asthma and other diseases requiring expensive medical treatment. 2-8 This expensive medical treatment also stems from the fact some diseases, such as cancer, are unable to be cured completely and require a lifetime of extreme expenses. Many recently approved drugs in oncology carry costs of $5,000 or more per month of treatment, and there is indication that drug pricing will continue to rise.49,50 In addition to these hefty costs, cancer is second leading cause of death among individuals in the United
Food and nutrients are a necessity to live and thrive. However, consuming too much for this necessity can initiate a deadly chain reaction. Obesity is a disease stemming from various influences, such as the variety of food consumed and socioeconomic influences, but an important influence of this epidemic is overeating.9-12 Additionally, obesity is an epidemic impacting nearly 2 in 3 people within the United State population.1,2 Obesity as a disease is associated with elevated mortality, cancer, high rates of diabetes, hypertension, asthma and various other diseases.2-8 With this epidemic continuing to grow, the diseases correlated to obesity also are becoming more prevalent in society.3-5 Cancer …show more content…
Absenteeism, which is described as avoiding work or school for little to no reason, is a term used to describe an indirect cost of obesity within the nation. Nationwide annual productivity losses due to obesity-related absenteeism are measured between 3.38 billion US dollars (79 US dollars per obese individual) and 6.38 billion US dollars (132 US dollars per obese individual).24 In 2008 alone, the direct annual medical cost of obesity in the US totaled 147 billion US dollars.22 Both the indirect and direct cost due to obesity are a result of the additional diseases obesity causes.22,23 For instance, if an obese individual is experiencing chest or heart pain they may avoid work to prevent further complication, thus causing the company to lose out on revenue. This is an indirect cost of obesity. Additionally, if the same obese individual is experiencing chest pain and goes to see a primary care physician, this will cost money to do so and the individual will like be prescribed medication that will also cost money. This is a direct cost of obesity. The associations between obesity, elevated mortality, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, asthma and other diseases requiring expensive medical treatment. 2-8 This expensive medical treatment also stems from the fact some diseases, such as cancer, are unable to be cured completely and require a lifetime of extreme expenses. Many recently approved drugs in oncology carry costs of $5,000 or more per month of treatment, and there is indication that drug pricing will continue to rise.49,50 In addition to these hefty costs, cancer is second leading cause of death among individuals in the United