What is key in the fight against obesity? It is a change in the energy balance of each individual. Eating habits must change or there must be more physical activity. If nothing changes, as early as in 2030 almost half the global adult population will be overweight or obese. These are findings from Overcoming obesity: An initial economic analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) as we reported in our previous article on global impacts of obesity.
Main findings of the MGI research
No single intervention is likely to have a significant impact. What we need is a systemic portfolio of interventions that are used steadily and on a sufficiently large scale. Very often the savings on health care costs and increases in productivity can outweigh the direct investment. So when we assess interventions over the full lifespan of the target group of these interventions, we can clearly see that they are cost effective for the state. Society gains more than it has spent, at least if the results are analysed over a long enough period of time.
Crucial elements of any programme that is introduced with the aim of reducing obesity rates are personal responsibility and education. On the other hand, these two elements by themselves are by no means sufficient. There must be other interventions too, relying not on the choices people make but rather aimed at the environment and shifting norms in society.
No individual sector can address the problem on its own – neither the government, nor educators. Many sectors have to be engaged. Some kind of coordination is needed in order to make it economically viable for any first movers. We need as many interventions as possible and society should also engage in a system of trial and error, at least where risks are low.
Uneasy struggle
A solution to the obesity problem is not easy to find. Debates are strongly polarised but one thing is clear: no single, simple solution exists. What is needed is integrated assessments of all potential solutions. Rates of obesity are increasing but there is little progress on the creation of a global strategy that would solve this serious problem. Insufficient research has been done on links between obesity and the gut microbiome; the topic of satiety hormones and metabolism also deserves further attention. It is research into these areas that will subsequently reveal many new ways of fighting obesity much more effectively.
-jk-