Obesity, cigarette smoking and the cost of physicians' services in Ontario

Background: This report uses population-based individual-level data to compute direct estimates of the costs of physicians' services in Ontario in relation to Body Mass Index (BMI) and smoking. Methods: Subjects were 2,170 respondents to the National Population Health Survey who approved linkage to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. Results: The mean per capita cost of physicians' services in Ontario increased by $8.90 (95% CI: $1.90 - $15.60) for each unit increase in BMI and by $1.75 (95% Cl: $0.11 - $3.40) for every year of daily smoking. The annual attributable cost of smoking and overweight among residents of Ontario, aged 40-79, was estimated at $275,000,000. Conclusions: Overweight and smoking are responsible for large costs to the health care system. The cost of public health initiatives a could be easily recovered if they were successful in making only moderate changes to the cost of smoking and body weight in the population.