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Economics of the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity 2016
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Economics of the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity 2016

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Economics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2017) | Viewed by 19590

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Paul A. Scuffham

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Centre for Applied Health Economics, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
2. Menzies Health Institutte Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4215, Australia
Interests: economic evaluation of healthcare interventions; modelling; elicitation of preferences; health policy; health services research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obesity continues to be the fastest growing cause for morbidity and mortality in developed and developing countries. Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases, loss of quality of life, incapacity and eventually death. Lifestyle factors are the main cause of obesity and thus obesity (and many of its consequences) is preventable. However, for an individual, the more obese they become, the more difficult it is to reverse that trend. There are now several pharmaceutical and surgical interventions available to manage or reverse obesity, but lifestyle factors are the most difficult to change.

There are a multitude of potential interventions and policy responses to prevent and treat obesity. Some focus on reducing consumption of unhealthy foods by imposing differential taxes on healthy vs. junk foods, restrictions on advertising and increased physical activity in school curricula. Other interventions target those who are obese with multidisciplinary teams that include a psychologist, exercise physiologist and nutritionist/dietician to assist in changing lifestyle, pharmaceuticals to reduce intestinal absorption of fats or to increase metabolic rates, and the range of bariatric surgeries including Roux-En-Y gastric bypass, lap banding, gastric sleeve, and more recently gastrointestinal liner systems. However, in order to use available resources wisely and to be able to prioritise between potential interventions, detailed information is needed on both health outcomes and costs, and the relation between the two. Moreover, the optimal balance of resources allocated to prevention versus treatment of obesity is highly debatable.

The focus of this Special Issue is on the “Economics of Prevention and Treatment of Obesity”. This includes developing knowledge on the economic consequences of prevention and treatments, on both the cost and the benefit side, in order to reduce societal, as well as individual burden caused by obesity.

Empirical, theoretical and review papers are equally welcome, on any topic relevant to “Economics of Prevention and Treatment of Obesity”. Submissions on the optimal balance of resources allocated to prevention and treatment, articles identifying the optimal patient criteria for surgical interventions, and articles describing public acceptability of policy are especially welcome.

Prof. Dr. Paul A. Scuffham
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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950 KiB  
Article
Public Preferences for the Use of Taxation and Labelling Policy Measures to Combat Obesity in Young Children in Australia
by Tracy Comans, Nicole Moretto and Joshua Byrnes
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(3), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14030324 - 21 Mar 2017
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5981
Abstract
Objective: Childhood obesity is a serious concern for developed and developing countries. This study aimed to assess the level of support in Australia for regulation and to assess whether systematic differences occur between individuals who support increased regulation and individuals who oppose [...] Read more.
Objective: Childhood obesity is a serious concern for developed and developing countries. This study aimed to assess the level of support in Australia for regulation and to assess whether systematic differences occur between individuals who support increased regulation and individuals who oppose it. Methods: An online survey (n = 563) was used to assess parental/caregiver preferences for taxation policy options and nutrition labelling designed to address the incidence of childhood obesity. Participants were parents or caregivers of young children (3 to 7 years) who were actively enrolled in an existing birth cohort study in South-East Queensland, Australia. Results: The majority of the parents (over 80%) strongly agreed or agreed with labelling food and drink with traffic light or teaspoon labelling. Support for taxation was more variable with around one third strongly supporting and a further 40% of participants equivocal about using taxation; however, a quarter strongly rejected this policy. Cluster analysis did not detect any socio-demographic differences between those who strongly supported taxation and those who did not. Conclusions: Better food labelling would be welcomed by parents to enhance food choices for their children. Taxation for health reasons would not be opposed by most parents. Implications for Public Health: Governments should consider taxation of unhealthy drinks and improved labelling to encourage healthy food purchasing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economics of the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity 2016)
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324 KiB  
Article
Modelling Gender Differences in the Economic and Social Influences of Obesity in Australian Young People
by Gulay Avsar, Roger Ham and W. Kathy Tannous
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(3), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14030257 - 3 Mar 2017
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4169
Abstract
In Australia, as in many other developed economies, the prevalence of obesity has risen significantly in all age groups and especially in young males and females over the past decade. Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, [...] Read more.
In Australia, as in many other developed economies, the prevalence of obesity has risen significantly in all age groups and especially in young males and females over the past decade. Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, this paper investigates the influence of economic, personality and social factor demographics on the incidence of obesity in Australian youths. The study uses two random parameters logit models, including one that allows for gender-specific differences in the conditioning variables. The models reveal notable differences between the most important variables affecting the incidence of obesity amongst females compared to males. These differences are notable to consider for policy and intervention programs aimed at reducing the problem of obesity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economics of the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity 2016)

Review

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Review
Economic Evaluation of Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Methods, Limitations and Recommendations
by Nora Döring, Susanne Mayer, Finn Rasmussen and Diana Sonntag
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13(9), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13090911 - 13 Sep 2016
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 8947
Abstract
Despite methodological advances in the field of economic evaluations of interventions, economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood are seldom conducted. The aim of the present study was to explore existing methods and applications of economic evaluations, examining their limitations and [...] Read more.
Despite methodological advances in the field of economic evaluations of interventions, economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood are seldom conducted. The aim of the present study was to explore existing methods and applications of economic evaluations, examining their limitations and making recommendations for future cost-effectiveness assessments. A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, the British National Health Service Economic Evaluation Databases and EconLit. Eligible studies included trial-based or simulation-based cost-effectiveness analyses of obesity prevention programmes targeting preschool children and/or their parents. The quality of included studies was assessed. Of the six studies included, five were intervention studies and one was based on a simulation approach conducted on secondary data. We identified three main conceptual and methodological limitations of their economic evaluations: Insufficient conceptual approach considering the complexity of childhood obesity, inadequate measurement of effects of interventions, and lack of valid instruments to measure child-related quality of life and costs. Despite the need for economic evaluations of obesity prevention programmes in early childhood, only a few studies of varying quality have been conducted. Moreover, due to methodological and conceptual weaknesses, they offer only limited information for policy makers and intervention providers. We elaborate reasons for the limitations of these studies and offer guidance for designing better economic evaluations of early obesity prevention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economics of the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity 2016)
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