Slightly more than 26 percent of American adults lead sedentary lifestyles, and nearly the same percentage of Americans are obese, according to a survey by the MetLife Mature Market Institute.
The survey also finds that 9 percent of respondents have diabetes, while 30.8 percent have high blood pressure, often leading to cardiovascular disease.
Obesity results in higher medical expenditures of approximately $1,723 per year per capita, according to Lawrence J. Weiss, Ph.D., and Marta Malone of the Center for Healthy Aging.
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The average employer cost for health insurance between 1999 and 2005 jumped from $1.60 to $2.59 per employee per hour, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Based on research by the Centers for Disease Control and University of Michigan Health Management Research Center, preventive care is the most effective way to manage costs. Preventive care includes exams, screenings, immunizations, health risk appraisals, behavioral coaching and health education.
"As the population ages, it will become even more important to create policies and programs to help older people maintain their independence, especially since increasing numbers choose to age in place and are living alone," Weiss said.
Health monitoring programs, including telehealth, could prove to be especially useful, he said.
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