Thinner people, fatter wallets

DALLAS (UPI) -- U.S. adults looking for ways to save money should focus on their waistlines to make their wallets a bit fatter, the fitness people at Gold's Gym suggest.

Gold's Gym-sponsored research found that Americans' expanding waistlines comes with a price tag of $123 billion for the country, with obese Americans losing nearly $10,000 per year out of their own pockets -- based on the median U.S. salary of $48,451.

"If everyone began to take small steps towards healthy lifestyle changes, including a balanced diet and regular exercise, Americans' health and well-being would not only improve, but so would the

fiscal health of our nation," Robert Reames of Gold's Gym Fitness Institute, said in a statement.

Gold's Gym research includes that:

-- Obese Americans burn at least 9 more gallons of gas per year than a typical American for a fat gas tax of $36 annually.

-- An average of one full week of work is lost to obesity-related ailments for $932 in lost wage annually.

-- Americans spend 4 percent of annual income on clothing each year, but those who are obese pay an extra 25 percent for their clothes, or $485 annually.

-- Obese Americans will often pay for an extra seat on flights for a fat tax of $828 annually.

-- And the list goes on---

------------ Food for thought---------