title: Association of healthcare costs with per unit body mass index increase.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to quantify the healthcare costs per unit increase in body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study included 35,932 employees and spouses in a manufacturing company who participated in an indemnity/PPO plan and one health risk appraisal during 2001 and 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the BMI range of 25 to 45 kg/m, medical costs and pharmaceutical costs increased dollar 119.7 (4%) and dollar 82.6 (7%) per BMI unit, respectively, adjusted for age and gender. The adjusted medical costs related to diabetes and heart disease increased by dollar 6.2 and dollar 20.3 per BMI unit. The likelihood of having any medical claim increased 11.6% per BMI unit for diabetes and 5.2% for heart disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each unit increase in BMI is associated with higher healthcare costs and increased likelihood of having claims for most major diagnostic codes and for diabetes and heart diseases.
authors.affiliation: Health Management Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-1688, USA.
authors.forename: Feifei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reffitt
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Dee W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Edington
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology