WEDNESDAY, Jan. 5, 2005 (HealthDayNews) -- Health-care costs for obese blacks are less than for obese whites, says a study that also concludes the costs of obesity-related health problems grow progressively greater as adults age.
The study, led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, appears in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
"From the perspective of the health-care system, obesity may be less costly among African-Americans than among whites. In white Americans, health-care spending was dramatically higher for those who were obese than for those in the recommended weight range, but in African-Americans higher body weight was not significantly associated with higher overall health-care spending," researcher Dr. Christina Wee, of Beth Israel's division of general medicine and primary care and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a prepared statement.
The lower health costs among obese black Americans may be due to a number of factors, including health-care disparities that primarily affect blacks, biological differences, or the fact that black Americans already have a higher death rate due to other health risks, Wee said.
The study also found that obesity-related health costs become more pronounced as people get older, especially after age 55.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about the health risks of obesity.
