Reducing Obesity In Canada Would Help Relieve The Strain On The National Health System

A Canadian economist who studied the relationship between obesity and the number of doctor visits found that if obesity – and related complications, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease – were eliminated, doctor visits would drop by more than ten percent. That, in turn, would relieve some of the stress on the already overburdened national health system. The economist analyzed data on 60,000 Canadians from a national health survey. He suggested that reducing obesity might be achieved through economic incentives (such as higher health insurance premiums) and through tighter regulation of the fast food industry.