Editing Obesity (section)

===Economic impact===
In addition to its health impacts, obesity leads to many problems, including disadvantages in employment<ref name = "Puhl_2005">{{cite book | vauthors = Puhl R, Henderson K, Brownell K | chapter = Social consequences of obesity | veditors = Kopelman PG, Caterson ID, Stock MJ, Dietz WH |title=Clinical obesity in adults and children: In Adults and Children |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |year=2005 | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/clinicalobesityi02edunse/page/29 | pages = 29–45 |isbn=978-1-4051-1672-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/clinicalobesityi02edunse/page/29 }}</ref>{{rp|29}}<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Johansson E, Böckerman P, Kiiskinen U, Heliövaara M | title = Obesity and labour market success in Finland: the difference between having a high BMI and being fat | journal = Economics and Human Biology | volume = 7 | issue = 1 | pages = 36–45 | date = March 2009 | pmid = 19249259 | doi = 10.1016/j.ehb.2009.01.008 }}</ref> and increased business costs. 

In 2005, the medical costs attributable to obesity in the US were an estimated $190.2&nbsp;billion or 20.6% of all medical expenditures,<ref name=medical-costs>{{cite journal | vauthors = Cawley J, Meyerhoefer C | title = The medical care costs of obesity: an instrumental variables approach | journal = Journal of Health Economics | volume = 31 | issue = 1 | pages = 219–30 | date = January 2012 | pmid = 22094013 | doi = 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2011.10.003 | s2cid = 6717295 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Finkelstein EA, Fiebelkorn IA, Wang G |title=National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: How much, and who's paying |journal=Health Affairs |issue=May |pages= W3–219–W3–226|date=1 January 2003 |volume=22 |url=http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w3.219v1/DC1 |doi=10.1377/hlthaff.w3.219|pmid=14527256 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/economic_consequences.htm |title=Obesity and overweight: Economic consequences |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |date=22 May 2007 |access-date=5 September 2007}}</ref> while the cost of obesity in Canada was estimated at CA$2&nbsp;billion in 1997 (2.4% of total health costs).<ref name="CADG2006"/> The total annual direct cost of overweight and obesity in Australia in 2005 was A$21&nbsp;billion. Overweight and obese Australians also received A$35.6&nbsp;billion in government subsidies.<ref name="MJA2009">{{cite journal | vauthors = Colagiuri S, Lee CM, Colagiuri R, Magliano D, Shaw JE, Zimmet PZ, Caterson ID | title = The cost of overweight and obesity in Australia | journal = The Medical Journal of Australia | volume = 192 | issue = 5 | pages = 260–4 | date = March 2010 | pmid = 20201759 | doi =  10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03503.x| s2cid = 1588787 | url = http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/192_05_010310/col10841_fm.html | type = Comparative Study }}</ref> The estimated range for annual expenditures on diet products is $40&nbsp;billion to $100&nbsp;billion in the US alone.<ref>{{cite news| vauthors = Cummings L |title=The diet business: Banking on failure |work=BBC News |date=5 February 2003 |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2725943.stm |access-date=25 February 2009}}</ref>

[[The Lancet]] Commission on Obesity in 2019 called for a global treaty—modelled on the [[WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control]]—committing countries to address obesity and undernutrition, explicitly excluding the food industry from policy development. They estimate the global cost of obesity $2&nbsp;trillion a year, about or 2.8% of world GDP.<ref>{{cite news |title=Public health experts call for global food treaty |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e32dfada-1ffa-11e9-b126-46fc3ad87c65?emailId=5c4ede5258d4740004049132 |access-date=7 March 2019 |newspaper=Financial Times |date=27 January 2019}}</ref>

Obesity prevention programs have been found to reduce the cost of treating obesity-related disease. However, the longer people live, the more medical costs they incur. Researchers, therefore, conclude that reducing obesity may improve the public's health, but it is unlikely to reduce overall health spending.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = van Baal PH, Polder JJ, de Wit GA, Hoogenveen RT, Feenstra TL, Boshuizen HC, Engelfriet PM, Brouwer WB | title = Lifetime medical costs of obesity: prevention no cure for increasing health expenditure | journal = PLOS Medicine | volume = 5 | issue = 2 | pages = e29 | date = February 2008 | pmid = 18254654 | pmc = 2225430 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050029 | type = Comparative Study | doi-access = free }}</ref> Sin taxes such as a [[sugary drink tax]] have been implemented in certain countries globally to curb dietary and consumer habits, and as an effort to offset the economic tolls.

[[File:Wide Chair.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|alt=An extra wide chair beside a number of normal sized chairs.|Services accommodate obese people with specialized equipment such as much wider chairs.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bakewell J |title=Bariatric furniture: Considerations for use |journal=Int J Ther Rehabil |issue=7 |pages=329–33 |year=2007 |url=http://www.ijtr.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/library/article.cgi?uid=23858;article=IJTR_14_7_329_333 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008202913/http://www.ijtr.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/library/article.cgi?uid=23858;article=IJTR_14_7_329_333 |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 October 2011 |volume=14 |doi=10.12968/ijtr.2007.14.7.23858 }}</ref>]]
Obesity can lead to social stigmatization and disadvantages in employment.<ref name="Puhl_2005"/>{{rp|29}} When compared to their ideal weight counterparts, workers with obesity, on average have higher rates of absenteeism from work and take more disability leave, thus increasing costs for employers and decreasing productivity.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Neovius K, Johansson K, Kark M, Neovius M | title = Obesity status and sick leave: a systematic review | journal = Obesity Reviews | volume = 10 | issue = 1 | pages = 17–27 | date = January 2009 | pmid = 18778315 | doi = 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00521.x | s2cid = 20420379 | type = Review }}</ref> A study examining Duke University employees found that people with a BMI over 40&nbsp;kg/m<sup>2</sup> filed twice as many [[workers' compensation]] claims as those whose BMI was 18.5–24.9&nbsp;kg/m<sup>2</sup>. They also had more than 12&nbsp;times as many lost work days. The most common injuries in this group were due to falls and lifting, thus affecting the lower extremities, wrists or hands, and backs.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Ostbye T, Dement JM, Krause KM | title = Obesity and workers' compensation: results from the Duke Health and Safety Surveillance System | journal = Archives of Internal Medicine | volume = 167 | issue = 8 | pages = 766–73 | date = April 2007 | pmid = 17452538 | doi = 10.1001/archinte.167.8.766 | type = Research Support | doi-access =  }}</ref> The Alabama State Employees' Insurance Board approved a controversial plan to charge obese workers $25 a month for health insurance that would otherwise be free unless they take steps to lose weight and improve their health. These measures started in January 2010 and apply to those state workers whose BMI exceeds 35&nbsp;kg/m<sup>2</sup> and who fail to make improvements in their health after one year. This becomes a Catch 22 position as many insurance companies will refuse to pay for treatment methods for workers living with obesity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20080825/alabama-obesity-penalty-stirs-debate |title=Alabama "Obesity Penalty" Stirs Debate |website=Don Fernandez |access-date=5 April 2009}}</ref>

Some research shows that people with obesity are less likely to be hired for a job and are less likely to be promoted.<ref name=Bias2001/> People with obesity are also paid less than their counterparts who do not live with obesity for an equivalent job; women with obesity on average make 6% less and men with obesity make 3% less.<ref name = "Puhl_2005" />{{rp|30}}

Specific industries, such as the airline, healthcare and food industries, have special concerns. Due to rising rates of obesity, airlines face higher fuel costs and pressures to increase seating width.<ref>{{cite web| vauthors = DiCarlo L |url=https://www.forbes.com/2002/10/24/cx_ld_1024obese.html |title=Why Airlines Can't Cut The Fat |website=Forbes.com |date=24 October 2002 |access-date=23 July 2008}}</ref> In 2000, the extra weight of passengers with obesity cost airlines US$275&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Dannenberg AL, Burton DC, Jackson RJ | title = Economic and environmental costs of obesity: the impact on airlines | journal = American Journal of Preventive Medicine | volume = 27 | issue = 3 | pages = 264 | date = October 2004 | pmid = 15450642 | doi = 10.1016/j.amepre.2004.06.004 | type = Letter | url = https://zenodo.org/record/1258704 }}</ref> The healthcare industry has had to invest in special facilities for handling  patients with class III obesity, including special lifting equipment and [[bariatric ambulance]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/obese-health-care-bariatric-ambulances/story?id=7981746 |title=Who Should Pay for Obese Health Care? | vauthors = Cox L |publisher=ABC News |date=2 July 2009 |access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> Costs for restaurants are increased by litigation accusing them of causing obesity.<ref name=Govtrack>{{cite web |url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-554 |title=109th U.S. Congress (2005–2006) H.R. 554: 109th U.S. Congress (2005–2006) H.R. 554: Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act of 2005 |publisher=GovTrack.us |access-date=24 July 2008 |archive-date=1 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081101192335/http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-554 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2005, the US Congress discussed legislation to prevent civil lawsuits against the food industry in relation to obesity; however, it did not become law.<ref name=Govtrack/>

With the [[American Medical Association]]'s 2013 classification of obesity as a chronic disease,<ref name=NYTimes20130618/> it is thought that health insurance companies will more likely pay for obesity treatment, counseling and surgery, and the cost of research and development of adipose treatment pills or gene therapy treatments should be more affordable if insurers help to subsidize their cost.<ref name=WashPost20130620/> The AMA classification is not legally binding, however, so health insurers still have the right to reject coverage for a treatment or procedure.<ref name=WashPost20130620>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/06/20/a-changing-battlefield-in-the-fight-against-fat/ |title=A changing battlefield in the fight against fat | vauthors = Basulto D |date=20 June 2013 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=20 June 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140902215705/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/06/20/a-changing-battlefield-in-the-fight-against-fat/?wpisrc=nl_tech_b |archive-date=2 September 2014 }}</ref>

In 2014, The European Court of Justice ruled that morbid obesity is a disability. The Court said that if an employee's obesity prevents them from "full and effective participation of that person in professional life on an equal basis with other workers", then it shall be considered a disability and that firing someone on such grounds is discriminatory.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-courts-obesity-idUSL1N0U20PE20141218|title = Obesity can be deemed a disability at work – EU court|date = 18 December 2014|access-date = 18 December 2014|newspaper = Reuters}}</ref>

In low-income countries, obesity can be a signal of wealth. A 2023 experimental study found that obese individuals in Uganda were more likely to access credit.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors = Macchi E |date=2023 |title=Worth Your Weight: Experimental Evidence on the Benefits of Obesity in Low-Income Countries |journal=American Economic Review |language=en |volume=113 |issue=9 |pages=2287–2322 |doi=10.1257/aer.20211879 |pmid=40098923 |pmc=11912229 |hdl=10419/251433 |s2cid=244396815 |issn=0002-8282|hdl-access=free }}</ref>