US$30 billion bill for overindulgence, inactivity

A study commissioned by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation has found that the annual economic burdens attributable to smoking, excess weight, alcohol, and inactivity are C$13.0 billion (US$10.6 billion), C$11.9 billion (US$9.7 billion), C$7.6 billion (US$6.2 billion) and C$4.4 billion (US$3.6 billion) respectively, according to a Canada Newswire story relayed by the TMA.
The economic burden takes into account the costs associated with direct health care, premature mortality, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
The four risk factors are said to contribute to about 40 different chronic conditions including lung diseases, cancers of the head and neck, lung cancers, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, strokes, colorectal cancers, and back pain.
The Canadian Men’s Health Week, an awareness campaign by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation, aims to create an annual focal point around which people who care about men’s health can collaborate.