Hong Kong Med J 2014;20(Suppl 3):S5-7
Economic burden of diabetes related to excess body weight in Hong Kong
SM McGhee, GN Thomas, CM Schooling, J Chau, LC Wong
Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong
1. Current health care costs for diabetes amount to around $2 billion per year, about half of which are related to overweight and obesity among adults.
2. Hong Kong may witness an increase in adult obesity in future, which is predicted to lead to an 8% rise in health care costs for diabetes and a 10% rise in deaths due to diabetes in those aged <65 years.
3. The model developed in this project can be used to predict impacts on deaths in persons aged <65 years, changes in life expectancy, years lived with diabetes, and health care costs for diabetes with changes in rates of excess weight in adults.
2. Hong Kong may witness an increase in adult obesity in future, which is predicted to lead to an 8% rise in health care costs for diabetes and a 10% rise in deaths due to diabetes in those aged <65 years.
3. The model developed in this project can be used to predict impacts on deaths in persons aged <65 years, changes in life expectancy, years lived with diabetes, and health care costs for diabetes with changes in rates of excess weight in adults.