Obesity is a chronic pathology affecting almost 13% of the population in Spain. It causes multiple diseases (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, cardio-vascular problems). In Spain, the pathologies resulting from obesity cause an annual cost of 2,500 million Euros, equating to 6.9% of total healthcare expenditure.
(Source: Medical Journal 01.06.99).

Within this figure, 65% corresponds to the individual costs of obese persons in diet products, aesthetic treatments, herbal products, acupuncture, alternative medicines, etc. The remaining 35% corresponds to the cost of obesity related diseases: diabetes (20,000 million Euros); arthritis (7,400 million Euros) ...

Surgery costs must always be assessed globally because they definitively resolve - in a high percentage of cases - obesity and the associated morbidity, as well as the psychological and social disorders suffered by the obese.