Obese Workers May Have Greater Healthcare Costs Than Smokers.

HealthDay (4/13, Preidt) reported, "Obese workers have even higher health costs than smokers," according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "Researchers examined data from more than 30,000 Mayo Clinic employees and retirees who had continuous health insurance from 2001 to 2007" and found that "both obesity and smoking were associated with higher health care costs." Specifically, "average yearly health costs were $1,275 more for smokers than nonsmokers and $1,850 more for obese people than those with normal weight."