The Personal ROI of Positive Life Change

As Ohio State economist Jay Zagorsky once said, “Being overweight can be dangerous to your health.” Extra weight translates to about $5,000/year more in medical costs for women, and about $2,500/year for men.

How do you define the value of your health and wellbeing? The answers differ. For some people, it’s about being able to shed bad habits and redirect the savings toward something productive.

For others, it’s about saving the years of life they’d lose from premature death due to cancer or cardiac, liver, kidney and respiratory problems.

For some, it’s about being able to enjoy the here-and-now as fully as possible – whether that’s family time, traveling, or something else.

And for still others, it’s about having the confidence they’ll be able to enjoy their later years and retirement in good health.

A recent study at Rutgers University discovered some interesting facts.

• Just a 10% weight loss can save $2200-$5300 in lifetime medical costs.
• Physical inactivity can cost $670-$1125 a year in additional prescription and medical costs, exceeding the cost of membership in a typical fitness center.
• Life insurance premiums typically run 2X – 4X as much for heavier people.
• Overweight individuals frequently report being “passed over” for career advancement opportunities, including those that would significantly increase their income.
• Healthier people report feeling much happier in their retirement years than people with serious health and medical problems.
• A typical non-smoker’s net worth is on average 50% greater than that of a light smoker and almost 2x that of a heavy smoker.
• People with serious health issues report decreasing their contributions to retirement accounts by as much as 45%, redirecting costs to out of pocket medical expenses and other health-related costs.
• Living longer (typically 5-15 years longer for a healthier person) correlates well with an increase in personal savings and retirement fund contributions over the course of those additional years.

The numbers are so compelling that qualified weight loss programs can be deducted from your taxes, and you can often pay for them with your Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA/FRA) contributions.

Not sure what your employer offers, what’s covered, or what they’re willing to do to help employees lead a healthier life? Talk to your company’s wellness coordinator, HR department, or benefits administrator to learn more, then talk to us. We’ll help you regain control over your health and start reducing the expense of an unhealthy, stress-plagued, deskbound lifestyle.