The Economic Burden of Overweight and Obesity in Saudi Arabia

No AccessAug 2022The Economic Burden of Overweight and Obesity in Saudi ArabiaAuthors/Editors: Eric Finkelstein, Drishti Baid, Mohammed Alluhidan, Reem F. Alsukait, Di Dong, Abdullah Alfraih, Hana Alabdulkarim, Taghred Alghaith, Abdulaziz Altowaijri, Christopher H. HerbstEric FinkelsteinSearch for more papers by this author, Drishti BaidSearch for more papers by this author, Mohammed AlluhidanSearch for more papers by this author, Reem F. AlsukaitSearch for more papers by this author, Di DongSearch for more papers by this author, Abdullah AlfraihSearch for more papers by this author, Hana AlabdulkarimSearch for more papers by this author, Taghred AlghaithSearch for more papers by this author, Abdulaziz AltowaijriSearch for more papers by this author, Christopher H. HerbstSearch for more papers by this authorhttps://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1828-8_ch5AboutView ChaptersPDF (0.5 MB) ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In Abstract: Models the economic burden of obesity in Saudi Arabia, explaining the different methodologies used to capture direct and indirect costs, and calculating the estimated direct costs of obesity at 7 percent of current health expenditure. Absenteeism caused by obesity may reduce gross domestic product by 1.42 percent annually. Such costs can prove avoidable through high-impact, multicomponent interventions that reduce the obesity risk factors. The three main ways to estimate these costs—the cost-of-illness method; the value-of-a-statistical-life method; and the economic growth approach method—each takes a different perspective, includes different cost components, focuses on different timeframes, and relies on different data and assumptions. While not directly comparable nor completely independent, the results can provide a different picture of the economic burden of overweight and obesity. Interventions to reduce this burden remain sorely needed, and Saudi-specific economic growth and other models that quantify the health and economic benefits of these interventions will bolster the case for implementing them. Previous chapterNext chapter FiguresreferencesRecommendeddetails View Published: August 2022ISBN: 978-1-4648-1828-8 Copyright & Permissions Related CountriesSaudi ArabiaRelated TopicsHealth Nutrition and Population KeywordsOBESITYNONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASESHEALTH TRENDSHUMAN HEALTH RISKSBURDEN OF DISEASEHEALTH CARE COSTSCOST-OF-ILLNESS APPROACHNUTRITION PDF DownloadLoading ...