This Is Why You're Poor: You're Obese

A new study out of George Washington runs the numbers on just how much it costs you to be fat.

Researchers tabulated the cost of medical bills, employee sick days, health insurance, lost productivity and even the need for extra gasoline to fuel cars carrying heavier passengers. In total, they found that the average yearly cost of being obese in America is $4,879 for a woman and $2,646 for a man.

When they factored in the idea that obesity can cut short a lifespan, the lost productivity from premature death pushed the figures higher, to $8,365 a year for women and $6,518 for a man. That’s much more expensive than just being a few pounds overweight, which researchers found cost $524 for women and $432 for men.

Experts note that most Americans would willingly pay up to ten grand a year not to go to the gym, so these figures seem perfectly in line.