Obese and overweight patients over the age of 45 are costing the hospital system $4 billion per year, according to a large cohort study of middle aged and older Australians.
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Data extrapolated from the Sax Institute's 45 and Up study found a direct link between a person's body mass index, their chances of being admitted to hospital and the number of days that they spent in hospital - the more overweight they were, the more they cost they system.
Australian National University lead researcher Rosemary Korda said the results indicated a greater impact on the health system than previously thought.
"What we found was that as you go up the obesity levels, the costs really start to escalate," Dr Korda said.
"It's not just a problem for those really extremely obese people, the risk does go up greatly as your BMI increases above normal."
The 45 and Up study started in 2006 and involves more than 250,000 people aged 45 and older.
Researchers were able to link to their hospital records and calculate the difference between the average cost of various hospital procedures and the amount spent on those people who were overweight or obese.
Among 45 to 79-year-olds, overweight and obesity accounted for one in eight hospital admissions and one in every six dollars spent on hospitalisation.
Severely obese people had double the rate of admissions and days in hospitals than people of normal weight.
Dr Korda said the results suggested that even small improvements in the levels of overweight and obesity in the population would reap worthwhile savings in terms of people's health and overall costs to the hospital system.
"Sometimes we say the problem is too big. But if we could even stop the prevalence going up, that would help."
Overweight adults make up 35 per cent of the adult population and obese adults comprise 28 per cent, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
But public health advocate and Curtin University professor Mike Daube said that although people were aware of the problem, few were willing to make the concessions to their lifestyle that improving the condition would entail.
"We're seeing complications and problems from obesity setting in early and seeing the rising tide of diabetes," Professor Daube said.
"It's not surprising that we're seeing very high costs to the health system.
"I'm profoundly pessimistic that we will come to grips with obesity for many years.
"With tobacco we're making progress, with alcohol I think we're going to see progress.
"I don't think our society is ready to face up to the challenges of obesity."
