What is the cost of unhealthy lifestyles in British Columbia?

The economic benefits of risk factor reduction in British Columbia: excess weight, physical inactivity and tobacco smoking.

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Krueger H, Rasali D, Pennock M, Gustin S. Provincial Health Services Authority: Population and Public Health Program. Vancouver, BC. July, 2015.

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This report on unhealthy lifestyles looked at excess weight, physical inactivity and tobacco smoking. Our study estimated that British Columbia’s annual economic burden attributable to these three risk factors was $5.6 billion in 2013.

Of this $5.6 billion, about$1.8 billion was due to direct health care costs and a further $3.8 billion was due to disability and premature death.

Possible Cost Avoidance for British Columbia

We estimated that if the province could reduce the prevalence of each of these three risk factors by a relative 1% annually until 2036, British Columbia could avoid a cumulative $15.0 billion in direct and indirect costs.