Health and Economic Impacts of Overweight/Obesity

No AccessFeb 2020Health and Economic Impacts of Overweight/ObesityAuthors/Editors: Pia Schneider, Barry Popkin, Meera Shekar, Julia Dayton Eberwein, Charlotte Block, Kyoko Shibata OkamuraPia SchneiderSearch for more papers by this author, Barry PopkinSearch for more papers by this author, Meera ShekarSearch for more papers by this author, Julia Dayton EberweinSearch for more papers by this author, Charlotte BlockSearch for more papers by this author, Kyoko Shibata OkamuraSearch for more papers by this authorhttps://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1491-4_ch3AboutView ChaptersFull TextPDF (0.6 MB) ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In Abstract: Asserts that being overweight/obese puts an individual at higher risk of morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), leaving overweight/obesity-related NCDs among the top-three killers in every region of the world except Sub-Saharan Africa. Low- and middle-income country contexts, which include weak health care systems already burdened with high prevalence of infectious disease, create additional challenges to preventing and treating the health consequences of overweight and obesity. An overweight or obese status reduces productivity and increases absenteeism, disability rates, and the risk of earlier retirement. Growing health care costs linked to increasing overweight/obesity rates prove a trend across both the developed and developing world, and there exist climate co-benefits to changing food systems to promote healthier diets. Prevention of overweight/obesity therefore makes sense from a public finance perspective, and governments can assist in this effort by ensuring consumers remain informed about their health and the consequences of their dietary and lifestyle choices. 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