Hmm... It's interesting, but not applicable in my case. I'm obese, but very rarely become sick or injured (current back injury aside... It's my first real injury since I was thirteen, hah!), and I don't have any of the illnesses the article described. I don't usually watch tv but I do work out, even with my back injury, at home and at PT, but that's hardly expensive either... And while I do eat the "healthy choice" and "lean cuisine" prepackaged meals, I supplement them with organic home-cooked meals. In my case, eating healthy IS the most expensive part And while I do spend $$ on the healthy food, I was without a job for two years, so I'm a penny pincher irl. The only generous budget I have is for a good bike that I can continue exercising on... everything else is second-, third-, and fourth-hand (except the food!).
So it's an interesting read, but by no means should anyone reading the article fear that every obese person will go through this.