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The burden of overweight and obesity-related ill health in the UK

journal contribution
posted on 2007-09-01, 00:00 authored by Steven AllenderSteven Allender, M Rayner
This paper reviews previous cost studies of overweight and obesity in the UK. It proposes a method for estimating the economic and health costs of overweight and obesity in the UK which could also be used in other countries. Costs of obesity studies were identified via a systematic search of electronic databases. Information from the WHO Burden of Disease Project was used to calculate the mortality and morbidity cost of overweight and obesity. Population attributable fractions for diseases attributable to overweight and obesity were applied to National Health Service (NHS) cost data to estimate direct financial costs. We estimate the direct cost of overweight and obesity to the NHS at £3.2 billion. Other estimates of the cost of obesity range between £480 million in 1998 and £1.1 billion in 2004 [Correction added after online publication 11 June 2007: 'of the cost of obesity' added after 'Other estimates']. There is wide variation in methods and estimates for the cost of overweight and obesity to the health systems of developed countries. The method presented here could be used to calculate the costs of overweight and obesity in other countries. Public health initiatives are required to address the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity and reduce associated healthcare costs.

History

Journal

Obesity reviews

Volume

8

Issue

5

Pagination

467 - 473

Publisher

Wiley - Blackwell

Location

Oxford, England

ISSN

1467-7881

eISSN

1467-789X

Language

eng

Notes

Published Online: 11 Jun 2007

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2007, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing

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