There are apparently no obesity cost estimates for adolescents; however, childhood obesity often persists into adulthood and preventing childhood obesity would thus also likely reduce adult obesity

“Evaluating the costs of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescents is difficult because of a paucity of data.” Stephen Daniels. 2006. “The Consequences of Childhood Overweight and Obesity.” The Future of Children, p. 58.

The percentage of overweight adolescents (ages 12-19) increased from 4.6 percent in 1966-70 to 16.1 percent in 1999-2002. Center for Disease Control analysis based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Obesity is strongly associated with Type II diabetes and about 176,500 Americans under 20, .22 percent of population, have diabetes (both Type I and Type II); about 1 out of every 400-600 adolescents has Type I (juvenile diabetes).  CDC National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2005

In 1998, the increase in per capita annual adult medical spending associated with being obese is $732 ($1,015 in 2006 dollars), a 37.4 percent increase in medical spending, and obesity-related spending is estimated to be 5.3 percent of all medical spending. Eric Finkelstein, Ian Fiebelkorn, Guijing Wang. 2003. National Medical Spending Attributable to Overweight

Total extra medical spending due to obesity is estimated to be $26.8 billion annually ($37.2 billion in 2006 dollars);  there is still debate about whether lifetime medical costs are higher or lower for obese people since they typically live fewer years. This number ($26.8 billion) excludes people who are institutionalized (e.g. nursing home residents). Including those people raises the cost to $47.5 billion ($65.9 billion in 2006 dollars). Eric Finkelstein, Ian Fiebelkorn, Guijing Wang. 2003. National Medical Spending Attributable to Overweight and Obesity: How Much, and Who’s Paying.” Health Affairs-web exclusive.

Eric Finkelstein, Christopher Ruhm, and Katherine Kosa. 2005. “Economic Causes and Consequences of Obesity.” Annual Review of Public Health.

Total (medical costs, lost wages, etc.) costs of obesity in 2000 were estimated to be $117 billion ($137 billion in 2006 dollars). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2001. “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity.”

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