Economic Impact in the U.S. of Five Diet-Related Illnesses

Direct, Indirect Costs

Disease Data Source Cost (In Billions $)
Cardiovascular and stroke (2008)1 American Heart Assn. and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute $448.5
Obesity (2003)2 National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases and CDC 117
Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis (2003)3 Agricultural Research Service, USDA 50
Cancer (2007) National Institutes of Health 219.2
Diabetes (2007)4 U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, American Diabetes Association 174
Sub Total $1008.7
Less Adjustment for American Cancer Society (.33 cancer diet related) 144.6
Grand Total $ 864.1
Footnotes
  1. American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/ .
  2. National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, “Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity,” https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diet-nutrition#econ
  3. Agriculutre Research Service, USDA: “MINERAL INTAKES FOR OPTIMAL BONE AND JOINT DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH,” 2003 Annual Report: https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/0405069-mineral-intak…
  4. American Diabetes Association, “Direct and Indirect Costs of diabetes in the United States".