Price Tag on Obesity?

We all know about the cost of obesity when it comes to shortening lives, but can you put a price tag on it, too? A conference at LSU drew experts from around the world to talk about just that. Obesity can cut your lifespan, but some experts say it can also cut into your ability to make a living.

LSU Economics Professor Naci Mocan says, "There is a huge impact on healthcare costs, there are impacts on labor productivity. Obesity, of course, influences individual workers' productivity."

Economists attending a research conference at LSU say there's a penalty for obesity when it comes to wages. They say women who are obese earn 2%-8% less than their slimmer counterparts. But that's not the case for obese men. Researchers say they tend to make the same amount of money as average weight men.

And while there are more questions than answers at this point, there is a common belief that change must start with younger generations.

"Childhood obesity is important because it translates into adult obesity. It sort of persists."

Experts discussed hot topics like placing taxes on fattening foods to see if people will drop a few pounds, a very complicated issue. But what's not so complicated is understanding how "big" of a problem obesity really is.

"Because Louisiana is one of the heaviest states, it's something that has to be taken seriously because of serious health and economic consequences."

The conference began yesterday and ended today. It was sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research.