Obesity’s cost in Sonoma County: $436 million
Dan Verel, Business Journal Staff Reporter
SONOMA COUNTY – Health experts have long been warning about the epidemic of obesity, particularly among children, on both a local and national level.
Now, health advocates point to something beyond the obvious associated long-term health risks – obesity in Sonoma County accounts for more than $436 million in lost productivity and health care costs, according to the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.
Nearly $115 million is spent on health care costs as a result overweight and obesity in Sonoma County, and about $85 million worth of lost productivity is attributable to obesity.
The cost of physical inactivity – a key contributor to obesity – is nearly $91 million for health care costs and almost $147 million in lost productivity in Sonoma County.
The numbers come from 2006 – the most recent year for available statistics – that were part of a statewide study released by the public health center. Statewide, the cost of obesity totals more than $41 billion – an amount equal to more than one third of California’s state budget. The cost has increased by 33 percent from the previous study conducted in 2000, according to the center.
The staggering cost of obesity in Sonoma County – nearly twice that of Marin County and three times higher than Napa County – has spurred an aggressive outreach campaign by the county and others within the medical community to target the root causes of obesity, with a heightened focus on children.
Joe Clendenin, a retired family physician, said that while adult obesity is an issue of concern, the county needs to focus its attention on youth, particularly in lower income areas that lack access to both nutritious eating options and recreational space that would foster more physical activity.
Although retired, Dr. Clendenin now provides outreach work for Sonoma County’s Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) – Community Health Initiative, which was founded in 2007 with a $1.5 million grant from Kaiser Permanente that lasts through the end of 2010.
Chris Bekins, a health information specialist for Sonoma County, said the HEAL project has been re-invited to apply for another three-year grant and is in the process of doing so.
Ms. Bekins pointed to another number associated with obesity – the average annualized costs for individuals, including reduced lifespan, are $8,365 for women and $6,518 for men, according to a September study by The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
In Sonoma County, 61 percent of the adult population overweight, Dr. Clendenin said. And 43.5 percent of low-income children between 5 and 11 years old are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.
Given such expenses related to obesity, Ms. Bekins urged both businesses and those who work with children to explore wellness centers, specifically pointing to the Northern California Center For Well Being, which has partnered with the county to advise business to set up workplace wellness centers. HEAL’s focus has four main areas, Ms. Bekins said – schools, health care, worksites and neighborhoods.
The Santa Rosa Community Health Centers and the traveling health clinics of St. Joseph Health System work in conjunction with the HEAL project in providing neighborhood outreach, Ms. Bekins said. She urged businesses to visit Northern California Center For Well Being’s website for additional information: www.norcalwellbeing.org.
More information about HEAL can be found at www.sonoma-county.org/health/prev/heal.htm.
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