One example Dr. Fabius points to is the social motivation to quit smoking when the public became aware of the dangers of secondhand smoke. "We have come to understand there is also a phenomenon of secondhand obesity. From very young ages, individuals who grow up in a culture that ignores the dangers of obesity do become dangerously overweight themselves," comments Fabius. "However, evidence derived from the private sector indicates that when employers cut unhealthy foods from cafeterias, educate employees on correct choices and incentivize weight containment, productivity jumps and costs plummet."

Ultimately, Fabius says it is a multi-generational task, given the historic growth of morbid obesity in America.  "Providers, payers and physicians can achieve their best results by intervening with young families to create improved wellness outcomes over time; the heavier burden for illness containment can then fall on treating older segments of the population. At the end of the day we become not only a healthier society, but also a stronger global competitor, as productivity rises and social costs decline."

The study "A Path to Eliminating $3.6 Trillion in Wasteful Healthcare Spending" is available at thomsonreuters/content/corporate/PDF/A_Path_to_Eliminating_Waste1.pdf.