Type 2 Diabetics Who Lose Weight Also Reduce Healthcare Costs

U.S. researchers have put a price tag – more than $500 a year in healthcare savings – on weight loss among people with type 2 diabetes. In an evaluation of more than 5,000 obese and overweight adults (45 to 76 years old) who participated in an NIH-sponsored diabetes initiative, the researchers found that people involved in intensive lifestyle changes – dieting and exercise – that led to weight loss had 11 percent fewer hospitalizations,15 percent shorter hospital stays, and used fewer prescription drugs. These benefits translated to an average saving of $5,280 per person in healthcare costs over 10 years, or $528 a year.