Obesity morbidity and health care costs in France: an analysis of the 1991-1992 Medical Care Household Survey

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2000-02, Vol.24 (2), p.151-155
• Main Authors: Detournay, B, Fagnani, F, Phillippo, M, Pribil, C, Charles, M.A, Sermet, C, Basdevant, A, Eschwege, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Body mass index; educational status; gender; Health care; health care costs; Health care expenditures; household surveys; Households; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Morbidity; Obesity
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801099

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the direct medical costs associated with obesity in France. DESIGN: Analysis of the French 1991-1992 National Household Survey database comprising a representative sample of 14,670 individuals aged 18 y and over. A subgroup of subjects with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 was compared with a control group of normal-weight individuals (BMI 18.5-25 kg/m2) matched on age, gender and education level. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported weight and height used to calculate individual body mass index and health expenditures in a 3 month period, and morbidity as declared by respondents to the national household survey and verified on medical records. RESULTS: The direct cost attributable to obesity (BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2) was estimated to be in the range 4.2-8.7 billion French Francs (FF) in 1992 value, that is between 0.7 and 1.5% of total health expenditures. CONCLUSION: These results were of the same order of magnitude as similar estimates obtained by a top-down approach for the same year and setting.