Introduction
The global obesity epidemic and its
impact on global morbidity and mortality have been well reported [1–3].
Overweight and obesity have been steadily increasing globally over the last 30
years, and in many countries, such as Australia, elevated Body Mass Index (BMI)
has overtaken high blood pressure and smoking to become the leading risk factor
contributing to the burden of disease (responsible for 8.3% of the total
Australian disease burden in 2010) [4]. The goals of managing the obesity
epidemic and potentially reversing it are hinged on interdisciplinary
collaborative efforts in research, policy development and intervention
implementation by professionals from diverse disciplines and service sectors.
One such discipline is health economics, which plays a varied role in both
understanding the problem of obesity and in evaluating efforts to treat and
prevent it. The aims of this paper are to review the potential contribution of
health economics in understanding the problem of obesity and possible
solutions. We also aim to outline the lessons learnt from priority setting
studies in this area, review the gaps in the cost-effectiveness evidence base,
and suggest areas for future research.
