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As you know, healthy habits like exercising regularly, eating well and not smoking can increase your stamina, lighten your mood and lower your risk for certain diseases. But aside from these physical and psychological benefits, clean living also offers a financial reward. A study of 6,000 Chrysler Corporation employees conducted by Milliman & Robertson, Inc., a leading actuarial health care consulting firm, found a high correlation between healthy behaviors and lower medical costs. The study followed the employees and their dependents over a period of three years, keeping track of factors that affect health such as smoking, weight control, exercise, alcohol use, eating habits, stress, mental health, cholesterol level and blood pressure. Among the findings:
Of all the health behaviors studied, eating habits resulted in the largest increase in health care costs: a 41 percent difference between those who ate poorly and those who ate well (the dietary risk factors looked at included how much fat, sodium, fiber/ complex carbohydrates and low-fat dairy products the person ate).
Smokers had a 31 percent higher annual claim cost than non-smokers.
Overweight people were hospitalized 143 percent more than people of average weight.
People with high blood pressure spent 24 percent more days in the hospital than people with normal blood pressure. (See the chart below for more details.)
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How Much Do Your Habits Cost You?
This bar chart illustrates the total monthly costs of health care claims made by people depending on various health habits.
1. Frame-adjusted desirable weight ranges were based on the 1983 Metropolitan Life Insurance Tables.
2. Exercising vigorously was defined as at least 20 minutes of aerobic activity.
3. The index included fat, sodium, fiber/complex carbohydrate and low-fat dairy intake.
4. Blood pressure was considered high if it was above 140/90 and normal if it was less than that.
Article presented as printed on www.thehealthpages.com.
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