Fat people are responsible for 29 % of the health care spending on all simers every year, according to a new study. Tristram Shapely: They're attributing a huge percentage of health care conditions to obesity without actually looking into any of the actual complexities of these illnesses. He says that at higher ages, above 70, fat people actually have lower mortality rates n thin people. shapely: Fat people are less likely to seek medical care, and they're less likely to get scans that they need.