Obesity costs Asia-Pacific $166 billion annually
OVER the past two decades, the Asia-Pacific region has not only experienced rapid growth, but in parallel saw a rapid increase in the number of overweight and obese people, according to the Asian Development Bank Institute (ABDI).
A study by the ADBI suggests that obesity costs about 12 per cent of total healthcare spending in the region or 0.78 per cent of gross domestic product, or US$166 billion (Bt5.8 trillion) per year. Obesity is a serious threat to the prosperity of the region and demands urgent action.
The latest available data indicate that more than 40.9 per cent of adults in the region are overweight, compared with 34.6 per cent in 1993. It is well documented that obesity and overweight are among the main risk factors of non-communicable diseases. The rapid spread of excess weight thus implies significant additional costs for health systems and the economy as a whole.
Despite the growing significance of this public-health problem, there have been few estimates up to now of direct and indirect costs caused by the obesity endemic in the region.
