Obesity morbidity and health care costs in France: an analysis of the 1991-1992 Medical Care Household Survey.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the direct medical costs associated with obesity in France.


METHODS
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)>/=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.


METHODS
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>/=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.


CONCLUSIONS
These results were of the same order of magnitude as similar estimates obtained by a top-down approach for the same year and setting. International Journal of Obesity (2000) 24, 151-155
Detournay
B
B
Cemka, 43 Boulevard Maréchal Joffre, 92340 Bourg-la-Reine, France. bruno.detournay@cemka.fr
Fagnani
F
F
Phillippo
M
M
Pribil
C
C
Charles
M A
MA
Sermet
C
C
Basdevant
A
A
Eschwège
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors