@parasurv This is a really good article. I've been thinking about this topic in the past few days.

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I started looking into some research, statistics and figures and here's what I have:

> Health problems related to excess weight impose substantial economic burdens on individuals, families and communities.

> Data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study indicate that the total direct cost for overweight and obesity in 2005 was $21 billion ($6.5 billion for overweight and $14.5 billion for obesity). The same study estimated indirect costs of $35.6 billion per year, resulting in an overall total annual cost of $56.6 billion (Colagiuri et al. 2010).

> Obesity is a serious concern because it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and the leading causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.

> Obesity in the United States now carries the hefty price tag of $147 billion per year in direct medical costs, just over 9 percent of all medical spending, experts report.

(My own comment): And this would especially be more important if you have some genetically pre-disposed risk factors already that would put you at further risk of health problems in the future.