What would it cost medicare to treat the effects of obesity?

Huge amount: The annual costs associated with diabetes, heart disease, joint disease, stroke, hypertension, and renal failure is immense. It is very important to encourage funding and research into the medical and surgical treatments of obesity.

Medicare does treat: Medicare does treat for obesity. Intensive behavioral therapy for obesity consists of the following: -screening for obesity in adults using measurement of bmi calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters (expressed in kg/m2); -dietary (nutritional) assessment; and -intensive behavioral counseling and behavioral therapy to promote sustained weight loss.