The growing global obesity problem: some policy options to address it

The last few decades have seen fundamental changes in food consumption patterns and life styles around the world. These changes have brought about a rapid rise in overall calorie intakes, increased consumption of livestock products as well as a shift towards increasing sedentariness. Increased food consumption and lower calorie expenditures have resulted in a rapid increase in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Initially, these problems were limited to a few developed countries. There is however, growing evidence that more and more developing countries are facing similar problems; and, more importantly, there are growing concerns that developing countries could be more adversely affected by this rapid transition in diets and lifestyles. The growing health concerns have also given rise to an intense debate about possible remedies to slow-down or reverse the obesity epidemic in developed countries and to prevent similar developments in developing countries. Some of the available policy options are being examined in this paper. The instruments analysed include price interventions, both at the level of primary commodities and final consumer goods, direct incentives to promote a healthy body weight and disincentives to maintaining an excess body weight. Finally the paper also presents some experience gathered from a combination of measures in integrated nutrition programmes. 1 Paper presented at the 97th Seminar of the European Association of Agricultural Economists, University of Reading, England, 21 22 April, 2005. The views expressed by the author in this document do not necessarily represent those of FAO.