Obesity Linked to Financial Hardship, Food Insecurity
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, July 2, 2025 -- Obesity is associated with financial hardship and food insecurity, according to a research letter published online June 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Simar S. Bajaj, from the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, and colleagues examined contemporary patterns of financial burden by obesity and overweight status in a repeated cross-sectional study using publicly available data from the National Health Interview Survey 2019 to 2023.
The final sample included 143,271 adults with normal weight (18.5 kg/m2 ≤ body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/m2), overweight (25 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m2), or obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). The researchers found that compared with those with overweight and normal weight, people with obesity were more likely to report financial hardship (14.2 versus 9.2 and 8.2 percent) and food insecurity (9.5 versus 6.0 and 5.6 percent). Obesity was associated with financial hardship and food insecurity in the first Poisson regression model. Financial hardship was 0.89 percentage points higher among people with overweight versus those with normal weight in the second model, which also adjusted for socioeconomic variables. Compared with those with normal weight, among people with obesity, financial hardship was 3.96 percentage points higher and food insecurity was 1.74 percentage points higher. Compared with those with overweight and normal weight, people with obesity reported greater cost-related medication nonadherence (9.2 versus 6.4 and 6.1 percent).
"In unadjusted and multivariable analyses, obesity was independently associated with difficulty paying medical bills, food insecurity, and skipping medication because of cost," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Read this next
2011 to 2023 Saw Increase in Prevalence of Obesity Among Children
WEDNESDAY, July 2, 2025 -- The prevalence of obesity increased among children and adolescents from 2011 to 2023, with the increase most pronounced among Black youths, according to...
2023 to 2024 COVID-19 Vaccine Provided Additional Effectiveness
WEDNESDAY, July 2, 2025 -- The 2023 to 2024 COVID-19 vaccine provided additional effectiveness against medically attended COVID-19, according to a study published online June 24...
Men With Hidradenitis Suppurativa Perceive Better Physician Communication
WEDNESDAY, July 2, 2025 -- Male patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) perceive better physician communication with respect to demonstrating respect, listening, and...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.