REVEALED: Exactly how much the average obese person costs the NHS every year, according to new study READ MORE: Millions could now get 'miracle' fat-busting jab for heart health By John Ely Deputy Health Editor For Mailonline Published: 10:39 EDT, 20 August 2024 | Updated: 11:13 EDT, 20 August 2024 e-mail View comments The average overweight Brit costs the health service at least £1,000 in healthcare costs per year, a new major analysis suggests. But those considered very obese, with a body mass index over 40, cost the NHS around £5,000 per head, due to weight-related health troubles. The study, by firm Lane, Clark & Peacock (LCP), found that, much like the average British waistline, the problem is seemingly growing larger with time.
The average annual cost of treating the most severely obese Brits has risen from £1,300 in 2015, to £1,900 by 2019, the final year of the study. This is thought to be because improvements in treatments have extended people's lives, prolonging the need for care. By specific health condition heart failure was the costliest per patient, tallying at just over £3,650 and £4,320 between different weight classes.
This was followed by kidney disease, costing between £2,900 and almost £4,200, and cardiovascular disease, coming in at nearly £2,700 at just shy of £3,500 Hospital admissions for obese Brits accounted for the biggest overall spend, followed by prescriptions for medications to help them manage the consequences of excess weight at an a.