Obesity in Costa Rica cost CCSS 65 billion colons last year

November 11^th, 2012 (InsideCostaRica.com) Obesity and its side effects, from diabetes to hypertension, cost the Costa Rican Social Security System (CCSS) 65 billion colons (about $130 million USD) in doctors’ visits and hospitalizations in 2011.

The amount does not include the cost of medications and only takes into account medical service provided to people over the age of 20.

To illustrate the magnitude of the problem: 65 billion colons is enough money to provide the country with all the cancer medications it requires for 5 years. It is also enough money to build the new hospital in Puntarenas and have 10 billion colons left over, which could be used to provide 1.4 million pap smears.

In 2011, the CCSS had 1.7 million appointments related to obesity, and there were 712 hospitalizations related to obesity.

Among those appointments, 754,000 were for obesity and problems related directly to obesity, such as diabetes, thyroid issues, nutrition deficiencies and metabolic changes.

Another 693,000 consultations were exclusively related to hypertension, an illness that in 1 of every 3 patients is caused by obesity, according to the CCSS.

According to Roy Wong, a doctor for the Epidemiology department at CCSS, the problem is caused in large part by the fact that 51% of Costa Ricans do not exercise on a regular basis.