So the question is who do you think cost the most for health care to age 56? Who do you think had the highest lifetime cost? And why?

Answer from scientific study coming up in the near future. After you have had a chance to respond.

I'm going to have to give that one some deep thought. I would have said the obvious, which is an overweight smoker, who drinks heavily, and doesn't exercise. The only thing is I can't see a person surviving until the age of 56 if they are doing all of those things to their body. And of course you have to consider genetics. Case in point Japan has one of the worlds lowest cancer rates, yet it has one of the worlds highest smoking rates among males. Yes they banned smoking in public outside, but it had nothing to do with health it was passed because they want to lower the amount of litter.

I'd have to say the obvious: They typical overweight Westerner that smokes, drinks, and doesn't exercise. Western medicine has a habit of keeping people alive that should have died 10 times over with medications and medical procedures. But you can't forget the genetic angle.

But I'm not the type of person who gives too much weight to a study, unless they have been long term e.g. more than 20 year, and done on a large multi-ethnic sample of the population. Too many studies are stacked to give the person or group paying for it the results they are looking for. I am sure if we looked into the archives we will find "top" scientists that have said that smoking was good for you.

The long winded, GunnyD

Edited February 26, 200818 yr by gunnyd

So the question is who do you think cost the most for health care to age 56? Who do you think had the highest lifetime cost? And why?

Answer from scientific study coming up in the near future. After you have had a chance to respond.

I'm assuming you mean cost in absolute terms, ie, without adding back the huge taxes smokers pay for instance.

So it is either the smokers or the obese, and I'll go for the obese as smoking related diseases ten to show up much later in life.

Yes, it would surprise me if it was the third group, although this group might include most women (who tend to be the biggest consumers as I recall), the young, and possibly the 'overly' health conscious.

Very intriguing posting- well done!

Smokers think they are indestructible, they don't go to a doctor unless they really have to and the really bad effects of smoking don't kick in until late 50's so they probably don't cost very much.

Obese people don't like to go to the doctors as they may feel ashamed of their weight and don't like to be told to slim down. As with smoking serious obesity illnesses may not really kick in until late 50's. They probably cost more than smokers as their illnesses lasts longer and probably start earlier.

Normal non-smokers go to the doctors for any problem as they don't have the smoking/obesity thing to blame the problem on, they expect to be in top shape. They are also physically very active which makes them the vast majority of patients in any orthopedic hospital, maybe apart from the 60+ patients with their hip bones.

My guess would be the non smoker cost most, and pay the least of the total bill.

I think in all fairness I have to clearify a couple of points.

The study looked at at three hypothetical groups of 1,000 adults.

Obese nonsmokers

normal weight smokers

Normal weight non-smokers.

I will tell you the results of until the age 56 differed from the lifetime group.

The posters here are using some very good logic although not all correct.

More to follow later.

You tease

I'd have to guess that up to the age of 56 the obese cost the most due to complications of obesity (slower healing, less active, more prone to infection, etc...).

For the lifetime group it's probably the normal-weight nonsmokers that cost the most because they are less likely to die of complications relating to smoking and/or obesity and more likely to live to an older age. It takes resources to keep people going.