The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in Germany
Abstract Background Previous literature documents the direct and indirect economic costs of obesity, yet none has attempted to quantify the intangible costs of obesity. This study focuses on quantifying the intangible costs of one unit body mass index (BMI) increase and being overweight and obese in...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Health Economics Review |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13561-023-00426-x |
| _version_ | 1797865598832607232 |
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| author | Fan Meng Peng Nie Alfonso Sousa-Poza |
| author_facet | Fan Meng Peng Nie Alfonso Sousa-Poza |
| author_sort | Fan Meng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Previous literature documents the direct and indirect economic costs of obesity, yet none has attempted to quantify the intangible costs of obesity. This study focuses on quantifying the intangible costs of one unit body mass index (BMI) increase and being overweight and obese in Germany. Methods By applying a life satisfaction-based compensation value analysis to 2002–2018 German Socio-Economic Panel Survey data for adults aged 18–65, the intangible costs of overweight and obesity are estimated. We apply individual income as a reference for estimating the value of the loss of subjective well-being due to overweight and obesity. Results The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in 2018 amount to 42,450 and 13,853 euros, respectively. A one unit increase in BMI induced a 2553 euros annual well-being loss in the overweight and obese relative to those of normal weight. When extrapolated to the entire country, this figure represents approximately 4.3 billion euros, an intangible cost of obesity similar in magnitude to the direct and indirect costs documented in other studies for Germany. These losses, our analysis reveals, have remained remarkably stable since 2002. Conclusions Our results underscore how existing research into obesity’s economic toll may underestimate its true costs, and they strongly imply that if obesity interventions took the intangible costs of obesity into account, the economic benefits would be considerably larger. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:10:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-486b00f9c7b545f798b18fbccbb1997e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2191-1991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:10:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Economics Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-486b00f9c7b545f798b18fbccbb1997e2023-03-22T10:24:04ZengBMCHealth Economics Review2191-19912023-02-0113111010.1186/s13561-023-00426-xThe intangible costs of overweight and obesity in GermanyFan Meng0Peng Nie1Alfonso Sousa-Poza2Institute for Health Care & Public Management, University of HohenheimInstitute for Health Care & Public Management, University of HohenheimInstitute for Health Care & Public Management, University of HohenheimAbstract Background Previous literature documents the direct and indirect economic costs of obesity, yet none has attempted to quantify the intangible costs of obesity. This study focuses on quantifying the intangible costs of one unit body mass index (BMI) increase and being overweight and obese in Germany. Methods By applying a life satisfaction-based compensation value analysis to 2002–2018 German Socio-Economic Panel Survey data for adults aged 18–65, the intangible costs of overweight and obesity are estimated. We apply individual income as a reference for estimating the value of the loss of subjective well-being due to overweight and obesity. Results The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in 2018 amount to 42,450 and 13,853 euros, respectively. A one unit increase in BMI induced a 2553 euros annual well-being loss in the overweight and obese relative to those of normal weight. When extrapolated to the entire country, this figure represents approximately 4.3 billion euros, an intangible cost of obesity similar in magnitude to the direct and indirect costs documented in other studies for Germany. These losses, our analysis reveals, have remained remarkably stable since 2002. Conclusions Our results underscore how existing research into obesity’s economic toll may underestimate its true costs, and they strongly imply that if obesity interventions took the intangible costs of obesity into account, the economic benefits would be considerably larger.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13561-023-00426-xIntangible costsObesityOverweightGermany |
| spellingShingle | Fan Meng Peng Nie Alfonso Sousa-Poza The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in Germany Health Economics Review Intangible costs Obesity Overweight Germany |
| title | The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in Germany |
| title_full | The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in Germany |
| title_fullStr | The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in Germany |
| title_short | The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in Germany |
| title_sort | intangible costs of overweight and obesity in germany |
| topic | Intangible costs Obesity Overweight Germany |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13561-023-00426-x |
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