Editor’s note: This is a transcript of the audio file.
If you’re trying to find the motivation to carry out your New Year’s resolution and lose some weight, look no further than your wallet. I’m Claes Bell with the Bankrate.com Personal Finance Minute.
Being overweight can actually have serious financial consequences. For instance, overweight people have a harder time finding a job because employers routinely discriminate against them. One study found 60 percent of heavy women and 40 percent of heavy men had reported experiencing such discrimination, and 16 percent of employers admitted they would not hire obese candidates regardless of their qualifications.
That discrimination hits overweight folks who have a job as well. A Bureau of Labor statistics story found that overweight women earned 6 percent less than thinner women, and overweight men earned 3 percent less.
Obesity also boosts your health care costs. Being obese can increase a person’s chance of developing diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, which are not only potentially deadly, but also extremely expensive to treat. Even if you have health insurance, you’ll likely be on the hook for more co-pays and out-of-pocket health expenses to treat obesity-related health problems.
For more on this and other personal finance topics, visit Bankrate.com. I’m Claes Bell.
