Obesity and the Economy
From Crisis to Opportunity
- David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD;
- Harold A. Pollack, PhD
- Author Affiliations: Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Ludwig); and Center for Health Administration Studies, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (Dr Pollack).
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- DIET
- ECONOMICS, MEDICAL
- EXERCISE
- HEALTH POLICY
- OBESITY
- PUBLIC HEALTH
- SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS
- UNITED STATES
The onset of a major recession places the economic correlates of obesity into sharp relief. Even in good economic times, obesity imposes great financial burden on society in the form of higher medical costs and lower worker productivity. The economic downturn can be expected to reduce nutrition quality and physical activity, worsening obesity prevalence when society is least able to bear the escalating financial burden. Yet this crisis also offers unprecedented opportunity. The economic stimulus under consideration in Washington could help launch a comprehensive national obesity initiative with immediate public health benefits, while laying the foundations for economic well-being into the 21st century.
Origins of the Obesity Epidemic
To avoid excessive weight gain and obesity-related chronic disease, virtually all experts recommend regular physical activity and a diet based on vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole (rather than refined) grains, and high-quality proteins and fats. Unfortunately, the last half-century witnessed widening divergence, concurrent with the obesity epidemic, from …
