The Economics of childhood obesity

The Productivity Commission has published a report, Childhood obesity : an economic perspective. The weight of Australian children has increased markedly in recent decades, to the point where around 8 per cent are defined as obese (based on Body Mass Index), and 17 per cent as overweight. The problem has been linked to a raft of physical and psychosocial health problems, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as social stigmatisation and low self-esteem.

This report indicates that there is only limited evidence of interventions designed to address childhood obesity achieving their goals. The authors suggest that the issue childhood obesity is complex and that policies need to be carefully designed to maximise cost-effectiveness, with a focus on evidence gathering, information sharing, evaluation and consequent policy modification.