Do you know that you can stay fit and healthy for free?
Yes, you can. Barring accidents and genetics, you can stay fit and healthy for free. To motivate you to do that, look at how much many people are planning to spend this year to stay fit and healthy, according to Ms. Jessica Belardo of mySA:
- 28 percent of consumers with savings strategies will spend a portion of their savings to reach their weight goals.
- 47 percent of consumers plan to spend more this year than last year for their health and fitness.
- These consumers plan to spend an average of $131/month on health-club memberships.
- Those who opt to exercise at home plan to spend $127/month on fitness equipment.
Can you imagine how much of the right kinds of food you can buy for these amounts? Unfortunately, if people don’t spend that money to stay fit and healthy, consider what it costs to be overweight or outright obese.
Cost of Weight-Related Diseases:
Insurance data collated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the following (based in 1998 figures and in billions of dollars, aggregate) expenses for overweight and obesity-related medical issues:
- MEPS (Medical Expenditure Panel Survey): US$ 51.5
- NHA (National Health Accounts): US$ 78.5.
While it is true that above figures are based on U.S. conditions and may not be as much in other countries, it is also true that weight-related issues and plain obesity are now a worldwide phenomenon. It still costs a lot to be overweight, wherever you are.
