Okay, I promise you, I’m not one of those fat-ists. I don’t hate on fat people. That said, I do think that it’s pretty clear at this point that we are living in a comfort culture, where emphasis is placed on the fast and easy, as opposed to the whole and healthy. And that’s a shame. We’re the richest, fattest, least healthy country in the world. So when I started thinking about the ways in which slimming down could end up fattening your bank account, I realized this could be the incentive that Americans have needed all along to finally pay attention to their waistlines as carefully as their bottom line.

If you have interest in building up the “rich” part of the Western stereotype and kicking the “fat” part, consider these points:

Food

The first and most obvious thing to consider? Food costs. Simply put, if you are eating less, you are spending less on food. But it’s not even as one dimensional as that; the bulk of the unhealthy, calorie-, fat-, and sodium-laden foods we consume are typically outside the home. And, for what you end up getting, you’re paying considerably more for what you put in your mouth when you eat out. All those fast food pit stops and trips out to dinner really add up, both in pounds and dollars.

Instead, eat at home. It doesn’t have to be as arduous and time consuming as you think. Keep your house filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, plus dried nuts and other whole, healthy snacks (which by the way, are almost always cheaper than processed, pre-packaged, way-less-good-for-you foods) that you can grab on the run. You might even consider having your morning coffee (sweetened with better-for-you agave nectar instead of sugar, and soy or coconut milk instead of cream) at home, instead of spending $5 (and several hundred calories) on a giant, sugary latte at Starbucks.

Life insurance

Obese individuals tend to live about 7 years less than people of a healthy weight. Which is, ya know, a serious bummer all on its own. It becomes even more of a bummer when you realize that life insurance companies know this, and use it when factoring how much to charge you for life insurance. Yes, they can do that. And they will. If you want to save money while investing in your family’s future, slimming down could make it cheaper – not to mention reducing the risk that you’ll actually need life insurance anytime soon.

Look better, make more money

I hate to bring this up, but it’s pretty widely accepted as truth: good looking people make more money, and are generally more likely to enjoy professional success. This doesn’t mean that you have to be more with supermodel genes just to enjoy a bountiful life in your career, but it does mean that making the most out of what you’re working with physically is one way to make sure you’re maximizing your professional possibilities – and maybe increasing your net worth. One Ohio State study found that a typical woman earned $314 less annually for every one-point increase in BMI, while a male counterpart earned $161 less. You can complain about how unfair that is (I mean, yes, it is a little unfair) but that doesn’t change the facts. Instead, channel that anger into some intense rounds on the treadmill.

Healthcare and illness

Obese people spend more on health care than any other demographic. Plain and simple. If you are considerate of what you eat, and regularly get enough exercise, you are beefing up your immune system and are thus far less likely to get sick or injured. Taking care of yourself not only means looking better, feeling better and possibly even earning more in your job, but it also means less time and money spent at the doctor, in the hospital, or paying for chronic problems and prescriptions.

What do you think?

The studies have been conducted and the facts are in: obese people are spending more and making less than people of a healthy weight. Do you think this is fair? Is it discrimination, or simply a brutal look at the facts? Do you think that overweight people should be treated the same professionally and fiscally, or is any push to get healthy a good thing?