Avera Medical Minute: High Cost of Obesity Live 7/21/10 - KSFY News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, Sports

We know that increasing waistlines equates to increasing healthcare costs for all of us, but here's a statistic that may surprise you. According to a survey done in June hospitals nationwide will spend more than $1.2 billion by the end of 2011, purchasing supplies to accommodate obese patients. To explain why that's important to note is Dr. Kimberlee McKay from Avera McKennan hospital.

Dr. McKay says, "Over a third of adults older than 20 in this country are obese. Bariatric beds cost $20,000 more than standard beds and bariatric wheelchairs are 7 times more expensive than standard. It all adds up."