It’s no surprise that being overweight or obese has a negative effect on your health. From joint pain to diabetes, poor sleep to shorter life expectancy, being fat is just plain bad for you.

But did you know that being fat is costing you more than just your health? That extra weight is hurting your pocketbook and endangering your life in some unexpected ways, too.

1. Over-Priced for Over-Sized Clothes
If you’re an overweight woman, you probably struggle with self imagine issues. You don’t like the way you look and struggle to find clothes that fit. You might also notice that you’re paying more for clothes. Many stores charge as much as double for plus-sized versions of their normal sized clothes. Boutique stores catering to the huskier set can set their prices at astonishing levels, as the market for extra large clothing grows. In addition, these plus-sized options are often scaled incorrectly, leaving them too tight in the bust, too big in the hip and too short to be decent, meaning you’re paying extra for a worse product. And that’s if your favorite store even carries plus-sized clothing, at all! Recently, all the H&M locations in New York City removed their plus-sized sections to make room for home goods and told over-weight shoppers to take their business online. Target, too, offers only a minimal plus-sized department in store, directing their bigger customers to the website (with shipping costs included, of course). Wouldn’t you like to be able to purchase something off the rack and for a reasonable price?

2. Overweight and Underpaid
If you’re paying extra for plus-sized clothes, you should at least be getting paid more at work. But that is rarely the case. Overweight worker make less money, are less likely to get promotions or raises, and are less productive than their thin colleagues. This wage discrimination stems from fat people being seen as lazy and less disciplined. Overweight workers are less likely to be hired because they are seen as a drain on resources; their health care cost tend to be higher. In addition to the perception of plus-sized workers is the fact that obese people do miss more work than thin people, up to a week extra per year, due to illnesses and complications caused by their weight. So next time you’re passed over for that big promotion or you’re turned down for a job, ask yourself this: Is your fat holding you back?

3. More ass? More gas.
Overweight and obese drivers contend with another “fat tax” at the gas pump. Having 100 extra pounds in the car can decrease your car’s fuel efficiency by nearly 2%! That can add up to $30 extra dollars a year. Obviously, the more you weigh or the more you drive, those costs start to increase. In addition, bigger drivers want bigger car to comfortably get around. These cars get even worse gas mileage, costing you more in the long run. Can you afford to stay fat if gas prices go up?

4. Bigger driver, bigger danger
Paying more at the pump isn’t the only car issue your weight is cause: you are also more likely to die in an accident than a thin driver. Overweight drivers will sometimes skip the seat beat, as they are too uncomfortable. Even if you do buckle up, seat beats and airs bags are designed for average sized driver and are not as effective in protect overweight people. Crash test dummies used to test car safety haven’t change size since they were first used in testing, meaning auto-maker have no data when it comes to plus-sized drivers. Fat drivers are also at a higher risk for getting into accidents. Many overweight people suffer from sleep apnea, making it harder for them to get a restful night’s sleep which in turn makes them tired during the day. Studies have shown that drowsy drivers are just as dangerous as drunk driver. This deadly combination leaves just one question: Are you willing to take that kind of a risk with your life?

So knowing all this, what is your excuse for staying fat? It can’t be money; you’re losing more money by not losing the weight. The status quo is obviously more dangerous than the unknown. Why are you denying yourself the chance to be happy, healthy and wealth!

You owe it to yourself to take the first step toward being healthy. Become the Skinny Self you always knew you could be!