OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a global epidemic with a heavy socio-economic burden. This study estimates such burden in Argentina and provides useful evidence to design prevention, control and treatment strategies for obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). METHODS: Descriptive statistical analyses of the National Survey of Risk Factors (2005) to identify associations between overweight/obesity (classified according to BMI values and WHO criteria) and demographic/epidemiological characteristics. It estimates fatal events, cost of premature deaths (human capital approach) and loss of healthy life years due to overweight and obesity. Differences in means and proportions were verified using Student's t test, ANOVA and Chi2. RESULTS: The national prevalence of overweight and obesity was 34.8% and 14.8%, respectively; age range of the adult overweight/obesity population was 35-64 years; obese people were older than normal weight  and overweight (49.4 vs. 38.7 and 47.3, respectively); 16.2% of the obese people had unsatisfied basic needs (15.1% in overweight people). Prevalence of obesity (15.2%) was lower than that of overweight (21.6%) in university students. Obesity was frequently associated with other CVRFs, being hypertension the most frequent one (48.1%). The association with two o more CVRFs was greater in obese than in overweight people (23.3% vs. 16.6%), with 14.776 deaths due to overweight/obesity. The statistical value of life in Argentina was $39,174. The cost attributable to premature deaths due to obesity/overweight was $190.5 millions (70% due to overweight). We estimate 596.704 lost healthy life years due to overweight/obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity is necessary to decrease their high socioeconomic costs and their negative impact upon lost healthy life years.