Can weight loss save you money

Eat less, spend less? Does dropping a few pant sizes trim food costs?Quite possibly, according to Barbara O'Neill, a professor and specialist in finance resource management at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., and co-author of "Small Steps to Health and Wealth."When dining out, bring home half of an entree for a later meal, O'Neill suggests. At home, set aside leftovers for future meals, she says."This really adds up," she says. "If you split all your dinners and eat 183 total meals annually, instead of 365, assuming that the cost is $5 per meal, that's a savings of (about) $910," she says.While saving money, you can also shed pounds."If a half-portion dinner has 240 calories instead of 480, you could also lose 20 pounds in a year by eating half a food portion," O'Neill says.However, Jay Zagorsky, an economist at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, who has studied the relationship between weight loss and wealth, points out that "smaller portions do not always save individuals money.""You might lose weight eating only in the finest restaurants because the portions are small, but your bank account will not be larger," he says

Saving at the doctor's office

A person who is obese has annual medical costs $1,429 higher than someone of a normal weight, according to the CDC.

Obese people are at greater risk for many health conditions. That may mean more frequent doctor visits and hospitalizations, which translates into more medical co-payments and more money spent on medications.

"Eat healthy food, exercise, and get enough sleep," O'Neill says. "Fewer doctor visits will save money on those pesky co-pays."

Zagorsky agrees that weight loss can help people save on medical costs, but he points out that returns are not always immediate.

"The problem with being obese is that it leads to lower health outcomes later in life," Zagorsky says. "If you put on an extra 30 or 40 pounds right now, there is no reason to believe that for the next decade you will have more doctor visits than if you keep the extra weight off."

Instead, the effect of a poor diet may not show up until many years into the future. So, people should understand that losing weight may not result in savings right away.

"You will likely save on medications, but this will happen later in life," he says.

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