ü      A 1990 U.S. Department of Agriculture study showed that WIC spending on pregnant women was associated with substantial savings in Medicaid costs for newborns and their mothers during the first 60 days after birth. Every dollar spent on the prenatal component of WIC yielded an average savings of about $3 in Medicaid.

 

ü      A study released by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) in the spring of 1992, found that the prenatal benefits of WIC resulted in cost savings to other federal, state and local programs over the first 18 years of the lives of children. The study concluded that for every $1.00 spent on WIC, $3.50 is saved by averting medical and other related expenditures. This demonstrates how the prevention of problems through provision of adequate childhood nutrition is a sound investment for the nation.

 

ü      Children covered by Medicaid are nearly six times likely to be treated for a diagnosis of obesity than children covered by private insurance.

 

ü      Children treated for obesity are roughly three times more expensive for the health system than the average insured child.

 

ü      Annual healthcare costs are about $6,700 for children treated for obesity covered by Medicaid and about $3,700 for obese children treated with private insurance. 

 

ü      The national cost of childhood obesity is estimated at approximately $11 billion for children with private insurance and $3 billion for those with Medicaid.

 

ü      Children diagnosed with obesity are two to three times more likely to be hospitalized.

 

ü      Children who receive Medicaid are less likely to visit the doctor and more likely to be hospitalized than comparable children with private insurance.

 

ü      Children treated for obesity are far more likely to be diagnosed with mental health disorders or bone and joint disorders than on-obese children.

 

ü      Other conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, are likely to surface as these children age, causing medical costs associated with obesity to continue rising.

 

ü      Obesity-associated annual hospital costs for children more than tripled over two decades, rising from $35 million in 1979-81 to $127 million in 1997-99.