It is estimated that obesity in the Mexican population will continue to increase and that by 2050 88% of it will have some degree of overweight or obesity.
Furthermore, if urgent measures are not taken at all levels of society, the cost of this public health problem is projected to rise to 4.67% of GDP by 2060.
The pilot study, which was carried out in eight countries in 2019, found that a high body mass index (BMI) of the population had a great economic impact.
The results were calculated taking into account direct costs, such as health care and those associated with traveling to seek assistance, as well as indirect ones, related to premature mortality and absenteeism from work.
“It was found that indirect costs represent 65 percent of the total impact,” he said.
According to the results, in 2019 obesity cost Mexico 26 billion dollars, which is equivalent to 2.1 percent of GDP, that is, 204 dollars per capita.
While by 2060 costs are projected to increase to more than 159 billion dollars, which would represent 4.67 percent of GDP.
Ricardo Luna, founding president of the Mexican Society of Obesity, said in the statement that these data also serve to combat the stigma that surrounds obesity.
He added that people living with obesity are the most vulnerable to the gradual economic impact of both medical care and the direct and indirect medical expenses derived from this disease.
“If we examine collectively, we need more health professionals involved in the approach to obesity before the comorbidities generated by it appear,” he said.
