Financial Friday: The Financial Costs of Obesity, Pt. I

Financial Friday is a little late, due to what I like to call “Martha Stewart Syndrome.” An attack of MSS hit me, and I spent Friday cleaning, baking, and cooking. I baked enough 34 muffins, a pan of brownies, made a Watergate salad, and fixed broccoli coleslaw, steaks, & roasted potatoes for dinner. I also did laundry, vacuumed downstairs, and managed to answer a couple of e-mails! Whew! And last but not least, I started hooking up the Wii.

Yes, I said Wii….more on the Wii later. Today is the premiere of a special four-week series on the “Financial Costs of Obesity.” I’m overweight, so I can write from experience and from the heart. I want to share our family’s journey with you. We are an overweight family. I guess my description of what I cooked and baked yesterday tells you a lot about that…haha. Realizing the impact our weight has had on our health lately, we’ve decided to do something about it. On Monday, I’ll tell you more about how our menu planning is going to change, and the lifestyle changes we’re going to make. Today, however, I wanted to talk about the financial impact of being overweight.

How does being overweight impact us financially? First, we have what I like to call “junk money.” It’s the money our family has spent on eating out and buying junk food (namely cakes & ice cream, our major weakness). We haven’t had a significant grocery budget, because we spent most of our money eating out. I’m not talking about McDonalds & Burger King, although they have received their fair share, but Logan’s, Outback, Ruby Tuesday, and Olive Garden. When you consider the cost of three adults and one child (who eats like an adult) dining out, it can be overwhelming at $60-75 each meal. Eating out used to be for special occasions, but with our declining health in the past couple of years, my mother and I have been too tired or in too much pain (from our fibromyalgia) to cook. After some deep discussions this week, my mother and I both realized how much we now hate eating out. We’re bored with the food, worried about the expense with rising food costs, and concerned about the impact on our health. I have to admit that I’m looking forward to cooking more… I think my parents will appreciate the savings, and I know it will be a blessing to see how our health improves.

Obesity also financially impacts our closets. In 2002, when I graduated college, I was within ten pounds of my ideal weight. After going to graduate school, where I stayed so busy that I didn’t have the time to cook, I ate out a lot and gradually started gaining my weight back. Food became a crutch for me, a comfort when I was stressed, and I turned to food when I felt like I didn’t have anyone else to talk to. Using food as a crutch began to cost more…I had to wear my “fat clothes” again, and after I moved home, continuing my bad eating habits, I outgrew the “fat clothes.” Purchasing a whole new wardrobe of larger clothes added significantly to my credit card debt.

Our health is perhaps the greatest financial consideration when we consider how obesity affects our bodies. We have to go to the doctor more often. For my parents, who have insurance, more doctor visits mean more out of pocket for co-pay. I don’t have insurance, however, so doctor’s visits can be costly. More illnesses = more medicine from the pharmacy. Joint pain, increased by the extra strain from more weight, leads to more pain relievers, ice packs, thermal patches, and braces and bandages. As you can tell, the list can go on, with the worries that high blood pressure and other obesity-related diseases can bring.

Finally, there’s the consideration of our mental health. How does obesity affect us mentally? As I’ve struggled with it quite often, I believe low self-esteem is one of the major costs of obesity. Low self-esteem not only affects the individual but also the larger family, as self-esteem issues influence our attitudes and moods. Furthermore, self-esteem influences our decisions... I’ve made poor decisions when it came to dating, especially in choosing an ex-boyfriend who fed off my low self-esteem and was verbally abusive. Trust me when I say that low self-esteem can have life-altering consequences. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed with people around me who have helped me overcome negative thinking. It’s a battle I face daily, but one I know I can win.

Obesity is costly…financially, physically, and mentally, even spiritually in some situations. Take heart, however, it is a battle we can win. I’ve done it before; I know I can do it again. Although I swear each time I try to lose weight that “this is it,” I’m changing “forever,” I’ve come to realize food is an addiction I must battle daily. In order to win the race, I have to realize I must change if I want to live.

How has obesity affected you and your family? Share your story with us in the comments.

Please join me on Friday as I continue this series on the “Financial Costs of Obesity.” Next week, we’re going to look at the financial considerations of making a lifestyle change with diet and exercise. And join me on Monday, for “Menu Plan Monday,” when I talk about the diet changes our family will be making.