The True Cost of Being Overweight

Last May as I was preparing to leave my old job, I started eating a lot. At least every day, and most times twice a day, I ate out. And as can be predicted, I gained a lot of weight, a whole 30 pounds. I really felt it when I tried to fit in my size 12 pants. Now what does any of this have to do with my personal finance trek? A lot. First, I needed some new clothes to accommodate those extra pounds. New clothes cost money. I scoured stores like Syms, Marshalls and Ann Taylor, but my best bets often ended up being often trendy, but still chock full of work-ready pieces at H&M and Old Navy. I ended up buying a few quality staples from discount stores and mixed and matched with selections from my wallet-friendly stores. The end result was pretty decent.

Now that my life is a little more even-paced, I can return to cooking at home a few times a week and bringing food to work on occasion—saving more money on food. Besides the food and buying new clothes, the cost of being overweight is very real. For me, it also meant wasted money on a gym membership that I didn’t use. For other people it may mean paying for extra doctor’s visits, diabetes medication, buying an additional seat on airplanes, and others. Even if we take care of our body’s wellness and are at a healthy weight, we all bear the cost of increased insurance. And apparently, it costs airlines additional gas/money to fly heavier passengers. As if I don’t already have enough incentives, maybe it’s time to get my act together.