Objective: Obesity imposes a growing economic burden on individuals and health systems, particularly in settings with limited public coverage for treatment. To evaluate the out-of-pocket health expenditure associated with obesity and identify factors influencing monthly costs among patients followed at a tertiary-level obesity clinic in Türkiye.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults attending an obesity outpatient clinic. Data on sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, and obesity-related expenditures were collected through structured interviews. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, chi-square tests, and multivariate linear regression. Results: The mean monthly obesity-related expenditure was USD 44.6 (±75.0), with pharmacological treatment-particularly liraglutide-representing the most significant cost. Liraglutide users reported an average monthly expenditure of over USD 350. The regression model identified liraglutide use as the only significant predictor of high monthly cost. Employment and education level were associated with increased spending, while individuals with chronic diseases reported lower costs, potentially due to partial drug reimbursement. Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) thresholds were exceeded by 30.1% (5% threshold) and 20.7% (10% threshold) of participants.Conclusion: Obesity-related costs can pose a substantial financial burden on individuals, especially when effective treatments are not covered by public insurance. Expanding insurance coverage and addressing disparities in access to treatment are critical to reducing the economic impact of obesity.
Eren et al. (Fri,) studied this question.