Obese patients cost NHS twice as much as those with healthy weight, study says

If everyone were a healthy weight, the study suggested, the NHS would save nearly £14bn annually. Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock

Obese patients cost the NHS twice as much as those within a healthy weight range, according to research.

Using the health records of 2.4 million adults in north-west London, researchers found spending increased for heavier patients, primarily for obesity-related conditions. Patients of a healthy weight cost the NHS an average of £638 annually, the study found.