The costs of the rising rate of obesity in the U.S. for government, businesses and individuals is greater than previously estimated and is spurring efforts to find solutions to the obesity epidemic. Research estimates that obesity-related absenteeism costs employers up to $6.4 billion a year while presenteeism due to obesity comes in at about $30 billion a year. A new study calculated $190 billion annually in additional medical spending as a result of obesity, higher than previous estimates.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...83T0C820120430