The burden of overweight and obesity-related ill health in the UK

This paper reviews previous cost studies of overweight and obesity in the UK. It proposes a method for estimating the economic and health costs of overweight and obesity in the UK which could also be used in other countries. Costs of obesity studies were identified via a systematic search of electronic databases. Information from the WHO Burden of Disease Project was used to calculate the mortality and morbidity cost of overweight and obesity. Population attributable fractions for diseases attributable to overweight and obesity were applied to National Health Service (NHS) cost data to estimate direct financial costs. We estimate the direct cost of overweight and obesity to the NHS at pound 3.2 billion. Other estimates of the cost of obesity range between pound 480 million in 1998 and pound 1.1 billion in 2004 [Correction added after online publication 11 June 2007: 'of the cost of obesity' added after 'Other estimates']. There is wide variation in methods and estimates for the cost of overweight and obesity to the health systems of developed countries. The method presented here could be used to calculate the costs of overweight and obesity in other countries. Public health initiatives are required to address the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity and reduce associated healthcare costs.     

Economic burden of childhood overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

To update existing literature and fill the gap in meta-analyses, this meta-analysis quantitatively evaluated the worldwide economic burden (in 2022 US $) of childhood overweight and obesity in comparison with healthy weight. The literature search in eight databases produced 7756 records. After literature screening, 48 articles met the eligibility criteria. The increased annual total medical costs were $237.55 per capita attributable to childhood overweight and obesity. Overweight and obesity caused a per capita increase of $56.52, $14.27, $46.38, and $1975.06 for costs in nonhospital healthcare, outpatient visits, medication, and hospitalization, respectively. Length of hospital stays increased by 0.28 days. Annual direct and indirect costs were projected to be $13.62 billion and $49.02 billion by 2050. Childhood obesity ascribed to much higher increased healthcare costs than overweight. During childhood, the direct medical expenditures were higher for males than for females, but, once reaching adulthood, the expenditures were higher for females. Overall, the lifetime costs attributable to childhood overweight and obesity were higher in males than in females, and childhood overweight and obesity resulted in much higher indirect costs than direct healthcare costs. Given the increased economic burden, additional efforts and resources should be allocated to support sustainable and scalable childhood obesity programs.     

Direct medical cost of overweight and obesity in the USA: a quantitative systematic review

To estimate per‐person and aggregate direct medical costs of overweight and obesity and to examine the effect of study design factors. PubMed (1968–2009), EconLit (1969–2009) and Business Source Premier (1995–2009) were searched for original studies. Results were standardized to compute the incremental cost per overweight person and per obese person, and to compute the national aggregate cost. A total of 33 US studies met review criteria. Among the four highest‐quality studies, the 2008 per‐person direct medical cost of overweight was $266 and of obesity was $1723. The aggregate national cost of overweight and obesity combined was $113.9 billion. Study design factors that affected cost estimates included use of national samples vs. more selected populations, age groups examined, inclusion of all medical costs vs. obesity‐related costs only, and body mass index cut‐offs for defining overweight and obesity. Depending on the source of total national healthcare expenditures used, the direct medical cost of overweight and obesity combined is approximately 5.0% to 10% of US healthcare spending. Future studies should include nationally representative samples, evaluate adults of all ages, report all medical costs and use standard body mass index cut‐offs.     

Healthcare outcomes for patients with type 2 diabetes with and without comorbid obesity

AimsExamine the burden of comorbid obesity associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsThe IBM® MarketScan® Explorys Claims Electronic Medical Records Data were used to identify adults with T2D, two recorded body mass index (BMI) values, and continuous insurance coverage from 1 year prior through 1 year post index date. Patients with index BMI ≥18 kg/m² and <30 kg/m² (normal/overweight) were matched to patients with index BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² (obese) using propensity score matching (PSM). Using the PSM cohort, multivariable analyses examined the association between obesity and patient comorbidities, healthcare costs, and resource utilization.ResultsIn the matched cohort (16,006 normal/overweight; 16,006 obese), multivariable analyses showed that obesity, compared to normal/overweight, was associated with increased odds of a diabetes-related comorbidity (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.29; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.21–1.38) and an obesity-related comorbidity (OR = 1.42; 95% CI 1.29–1.56). Obesity was also associated with significantly higher annual diabetes-related and all-cause total costs and resource utilization.ConclusionsThis research increases the knowledge of how patients with T2D and obesity should be of greater concern for healthcare providers compared to T2D patients without comorbid obesity, given their worse comorbidity profile, increased resource utilization, and higher healthcare costs.     

The prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity. Summary of the advisory report by the Health Council of The Netherlands

This article presents the highlights of an advisory report on the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity. The report, which was produced by the Health Council of The Netherlands, incorporates the most recent developments and projected scientific breakthroughs in this field. The prevalence of overweight and obesity has taken on epidemic proportions. In The Netherlands, as elsewhere, there is a steady rise in the number of individuals suffering from overweight or obesity. Since it is associated with serious health problems, obesity (and to a lesser extent overweight) leads to increased costs for the healthcare system. Food consumption surveys and studies on time trends in physical activity patterns have revealed that the increased prevalence of obesity is due to an increasing lack of exercise, combined with relative overconsumption. A healthy diet (including plenty of fruit, vegetables and cereal products) and at least one hour a day of moderate physical activity are recommended for the maintenance of energy balance and for the prevention of weight gain. While genetic factors play a part in the development of overweight and obesity, environmental factors appear to be of overriding importance. The so-called 'obesogenic environment' prompts individuals to eat more and to take less exercise. There are still no effective intervention strategies for the prevention of weight gain. However, the explosive increase in the prevalence of obesity and of its associated serious medical problems demands a common-sense approach involving preventive interventions, which are based on modern views of health promotion. These interventions require a broad coalition of actors, in which local and national authorities, industry, the healthcare system and the population at risk must each shoulder their own share of responsibility. The primary aim of obesity treatment should be a long-lasting weight loss of about 10%. Even this relatively small weight loss can produce significant health gains. Treatment methods must involve an integrated (lifestyle) approach, dependent on the amount of overweight involved and on the presence of comorbidity. Obesity should be treated chronically and prevention of weight regain must be part of any obesity treatment programme.     

Burden of disease attributable to obesity and overweight in Korea

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the burden of disease attributable to overweight and obesity using disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) in Korea. RESEARCH METHODS: Firstly, overweight and obesity-related diseases and their relative risk (RR) were selected by the systematic review. Secondly, population-attributable fractions (PAFs) were computed by using the formula including RR and the prevalence of exposure (Pe) of overweight and obesity. Thirdly, DALYs of overweight and obesity-related diseases in Korea were estimated. Finally, the attributable burden (AB) of diseases due to overweight and obesity was calculated as the sum of the products from multiplying DALYs of overweight and obesity-related diseases by their PAFs. RESULTS: The disease burden attributable to overweight was 827.1 person years (PYs) overall, 732.6 for men, 922.9 for women per 100,000 persons. The disease burden attributable to obesity was 260.0 PYs overall, 144.2 for men, 377.3 for women. Diabetes attributable to overweight and obesity accounts for highest burden among other diseases in both genders. The disease burden attributable to overweight was 3.2 times higher than that attributable to obesity. CONCLUSION: Most proportion of disease burden attributable to high body mass index (BMI) occurred among those with only moderately raised levels such as overweight, not the extremes such as obesity. It suggests that population-based, public health intervention rather than high-risk group-focused strategies are more effective to reduce the burden of disease attributable to overweight and obesity in Korea.     

Healthcare charges and utilization associated with diabetic neuropathy: impact of Type 1 diabetes and presence of other diabetes‐related complications and comorbidities

Aims The aim was to examine the impact of Type 1 diabetes and having any other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity on healthcare charges and utilization in patients with diabetic neuropathy (DN). Methods We selected individuals aged < 65 years who continuously enrolled in a large US commercial plan from July 2004 to June 2006 and who received at least one diagnosis of DN at any time from July 2004 to June 2005. We compared the prevalence of other diabetes‐related complications or comorbidities between patients with Type 1 and with Type 2 diabetes. In patients with DN with or without any other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity, we used multivariate regression to assess the marginal contribution of Type 1 diabetes on healthcare charges and utilization from July 2005 until June 2006. Results The majority of DN patients had at least one other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity. Most of the DN patients had Type 2 diabetes. DN patients with Type 1 diabetes had more comorbid medical conditions than those with Type 2 diabetes. Compared with Type 2, Type 1 patients had a higher prevalence of each individual non‐DN diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity, except heart disease. Controlling for comorbidities, Type 1 and Type 2 patients with DN but no other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity had similar healthcare utilization. However, Type 1 patients had significantly higher charges than those with any other diabetes‐related complication or comorbidity. Conclusions Many patients with DN have Type 1 diabetes and other common diabetes‐related complications or comorbidities, which can have a significant impact on healthcare charges and utilization.     

Excess costs of non-infectious comorbidities among people living with HIV – estimates from Denmark and Sweden

People living with HIV have an increased risk of comorbidities with non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and osteoporotic fractures, compared to the general population. The burden of these comorbidities is expected to rise as the HIV-infected population ages. This development may require additional health care resources and it is relevant to ascertain the costs associated with these comorbidities. The population attributed risk approach was applied to estimate excess costs associated with the higher rates of comorbidities among HIV patients in Denmark and Sweden compared to their respective general populations. Excess direct and indirect costs for one year were calculated for myocardial infarction, stroke, osteoporotic fractures and chronic kidney disease. Cost estimates were presented in age and sex subgroups. In the course of one year the excess costs for myocardial infarction, stroke, osteoporotic fractures and chronic kidney disease attributable to HIV was estimated to €3.4 million for Denmark and €2.6 million for Sweden. Chronic kidney disease accounted for the majority of the total excess costs, followed by osteoporotic fractures, myocardial infarction and stroke. The high prevalence of comorbidities in the HIV-infected population is associated with substantial excess costs. Focus on primary and secondary prophylactic interventions is warranted. Additional studies, preferably large-scale case-control studies, may give further insights on the extent and the predictors of these excess costs.     

The burden of overweight and obesity in the Asia–Pacific region

The rise in the prevalence of overweight and obesity (body mass index ≥25 kg m⁻²) is, in part, a negative consequence of the increasing economic developments of many lower‐ and middle‐income countries in the Asia–Pacific region. To date, there has been no systematic quantification of the scale of the problem in countries of this region. From the most recent nationally representative estimates for the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 14 countries of the region, it is apparent that overweight and obesity is endemic in much of the region, prevalence ranging from less than 5% in India to 60% in Australia. Moreover, although the prevalence in China is a third of that in Australia, the increase in prevalence in China over the last 20 years was 400% compared with 20% in Australia. In addition, across various countries in the region, the population attributable fractions because of overweight and obesity ranged from 0.8% to 9.2% for coronary heart disease mortality, 0.2% to 2.9% for haemorrhagic stroke mortality, and 0.9% to 10.2% for ischaemic stroke mortality. These results indicate that consequences of overweight and obesity for health and the economy of many of these countries are likely to increase in coming years.     

Apples and oranges: a comparison of costing methods for obesity

Obesity has escalated to epidemic proportions over the past 30 years resulting in increased disease burden and healthcare costs. The aim of this paper was to analyse different costing methods for obesity. Several databases have been searched to identify eligible literature estimating obesity cost. These were categorized into databases, patient‐attributable fraction (PAF) and modelling studies. Studies from the United States were used to explore effects of study designs on cost outcomes. Our results show that cost outcomes are largely affected by underlying study designs, such as population size, age, cost categories (medical expenditure vs. total costs), length of the data collection and body mass index cut‐offs. Three study types are likely to have an impact on reported costs, with modelling studies providing the most conservative estimates. Database studies can help to increase the overall awareness of the economic burden of obesity. PAF studies can make the obesity disease more tangible by drawing connections to diseases. Decision makers need to be aware of the different purposes and weaknesses of the studies when interpreting cost outcomes. Further research is needed to refine the existing methods and provide high‐quality data accounting for the complexity of the disease.     

Trends in overweight and obese adults in Malaysia (1996–2009): a systematic review

Like other nations experiencing rapid industrialization, urbanization and a nutrition transition, there is concern in Malaysia of a possible escalation in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. In 1996, the National Health and Morbidity Survey reported a 16.6% and 4.4% prevalence of overweight and obesity, respectively. In the following decade, there have been several national and community surveys on overweight and obesity in Malaysia. The objective of this systematic review is to describe the trend from 1996 to 2009 in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults in Malaysia nationally and by gender, age and race. Results indicate that there has been a small rise in overweight adults in the years 1996, 2003 and 2006 (20.7%, 26.7% and 29.1%) and a much more dramatic increase in obesity in 1996, 2003, 2004 and 2006 (5.5%, 12.2%, 12.3% and 14.0%). Evidence showed a greater risk for overweight and obesity among women compared with men. Based on the highest‐quality studies, overweight and obesity levels were highest among adults 40–59 years old. Overweight levels were highest among Indians, followed by Malays, Chinese and Aboriginals, with less consistency across studies on the order of risk or obesity by ethnicity.     

Disease severity predicts higher healthcare costs among hospitalized nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH) patients in Spain

The rising prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) presents many public health challenges, including a substantial impact on healthcare resource utilization and costs. There are important regional differences in the burden of NAFLD/NASH, and Spain-specific data are lacking. This retrospective, observational study examined the impact of liver disease severity, comorbidities, and demographics on healthcare resource utilization and costs in Spain.NAFLD/NASH patients in the Spanish National Health System''s Hospital Discharge Records Database (1/1/2006 to 4/30/2017) were categorized into disease severity cohorts as NAFLD/NASH overall, NAFLD/NASH non-progressors, compensated cirrhosis (CC), decompensated cirrhosis (DCC), liver transplant (LT), or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients were followed from index date until the earliest of 6 months, disease progression, end of coverage, death, or end of study. Within each cohort, pre- and post-index healthcare resource utilization and costs per patient per month (PPPM) were calculated.A total of 8,205 patients (mean age 58.4; 54% male) were identified; 5,984 (72.9%) were non-progressors, 139 (1.7%) progressed to CC, 2,028 (24.7%) to DCC, 115 (1.4%) to LT, and 61 (0.7%) to HCC. Pre-index comorbidity burden was high across disease cohorts, and the frequency of comorbidities increased with disease severity. From pre- to post-index, average length of stay (LOS) increased significantly (23%–41%) as did all-cause PPPM costs (44%–46%), with significantly longer LOS and costs in patients with increasing disease severity.Progression of NAFLD/NASH was associated with significantly higher costs and longer LOS. A coordinated approach is needed to manage resources and costs in Spain.     

Assessment of the economic burden of COPD in the U.S.: a review and synthesis of the literature

The costs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pose a major economic burden to the United States. Studies evaluating COPD costs have generated widely variable estimates; we summarized and critically compared recent estimates of the annual national and per-patient costs of COPD in the U.S. Thirteen articles reporting comprehensive estimates of the direct costs of COPD (costs related to the provision of medical goods and services) were identified from searches of relevant primary literature published since 1995. Few papers reported indirect costs of COPD (lost work and productivity). The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides the single current estimate of the total (direct plus indirect) annual cost of COPD to the U.S., $38.8 billion in 2005 dollars. More than half of this cost ($21.8 billion) was direct, aligning with the $20-26 billion range reported by two other recent analyses of large national datasets. For per-patient direct costs (in $US 2005), studies using recent data yield attributable cost estimates (costs deemed to be related to COPD) in the range of $2,700-$5,900 annually, and excess cost estimates (total costs incurred by COPD patients minus total costs incurred by non-COPD patients) in the range of $6,100-$6,600 annually. Studies of both national and per-patient costs that use data approximately 8-10 years old or older have produced estimates that tend to deviate from these ranges. Cost-of-illness studies using recent data underscore the substantial current cost burden of COPD in the U.S.     

A systematic review and meta‐analysis estimating the population prevalence of comorbidities in children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years

Evidence for the health impact of obesity has largely focussed on adults. We estimated the population prevalence and prevalence ratio of obesity‐associated comorbidities in children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years. Five databases were searched from inception to 14 January 2018. Population‐based observational studies reporting comorbidity prevalence by weight category (healthy weight/overweight/obese) in children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years from any country were eligible. Comorbidity prevalence, stratified by weight category, was extracted and prevalence ratios (relative to healthy weight) estimated using random effects meta‐analyses. Of 9183 abstracts, 52 eligible studies (1 553 683 participants) reported prevalence of eight comorbidities or risk markers including diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Evidence for psychological comorbidities was lacking. Meta‐analyses suggested prevalence ratio for prediabetes (fasting glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL) for those with obesity relative to those of a healthy weight was 1.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2‐1.6) and for NAFLD 26.1 (9.4‐72.3). In the general population, children and adolescents with overweight/obesity have a higher prevalence of comorbidities relative to those of a healthy weight. This review provides clinicians with information when assessing children and researchers a foundation upon which to build a comprehensive dataset to understand the health consequences of childhood obesity.     

Economic evaluation of the societal costs of hepatitis B in South Korea

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatitis B (HBV) infection remains a major public health problem in South Korea, and accounts for considerable morbidity and mortality. At present, very little is known about the cost of HBV to the South Korean health-care system and society. The present study was therefore conducted to estimate the total annual cost of HBV infection in South Korea for a given year (1997). METHODS: The study was conducted from the South Korean societal perspective, taking into account the direct and indirect costs of HBV vaccination programs (prevention costs), and those related to the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer (disease costs). Several assumptions were made in arriving to actual cost estimates. RESULTS: The total societal cost of HBV in 1997 was 1078.3 billion Won ($US 959.7 million), 142.3 billion Won or 13.2% being attributable to prevention costs and 225.4 billion Won or 20.9% being attributable to indirect costs of HBV-related diseases. The total cost (direct plus indirect) associated with HBV-related diseases to the South Korean society was 936.1 billion Won ($US 833.1 million), of which 45.3% was attributable to cirrhosis-related costs. In terms of disease-related direct costs alone (710.5 billion Won or $US 632.3 million), the estimated annual spending per patient was 1.37 million Won ($US 1219). The direct costs of the HBV disease (prevention and disease treatment, amounting to 782.2 billion Won or $US 696.2 million) is equivalent to 3.2% of the national health-care expenditure for 1997. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that HBV is a significant cost burden to the South Korean society, and in the absence of an effective cure reinforces the importance of continued disease prevention via vaccination.     

Costs of viral hepatitis B in the Republic of Korea, 2002‐2015

The Republic of Korea has a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and the policies concerning costly antiviral medication have been revised recently. However, in the past 10 years, no related research on costs has been conducted. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic burden of viral hepatitis B and determine the trend of changes in its costs between 2002 and 2015. Claims data from the National Health Insurance Service were used. To identify viral hepatitis B cases, the ICD‐10th code B16, B17.0, B18.0 and B18.1 were used based on a primary diagnosis. This study was conducted from a societal perspective regarding both direct and indirect costs. Annual costs were adjusted for inflation by calculations based on the 2015 costs. The number of patients with viral hepatitis B increased from 213 758 in 2002 to 342 672 in 2015. The total socio‐economic costs increased from 127.1 million USD in 2002 to 459.1 million USD in 2015, mainly due to the increase in pharmaceutical costs, which accounted for the largest proportion of total costs since 2009—220.5 million USD in 2015, which was ~15 times higher than that in 2002. The healthcare costs for viral hepatitis B accounted for 0.13% of the national health expenditure in 2002, increasing to 0.31% in 2015. The economic burden of viral hepatitis B has increased in the Republic of Korea. It is therefore essential to reduce the healthcare costs of HBV infection by establishing an effective management policy.     

How big is the financial burden of hepatitis B to society? A cost‐of‐illness study of hepatitis B infection in Singapore

Summary.  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common cause of chronic viral liver disease in Singapore. Nevertheless, very little data exist on the financial burden of HBV infection to the society as a whole. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the direct and indirect cost of HBV infection in a cost-of-illness analysis. The combined data from the direct and indirect cost with the estimated prevalence for different disease stages of HBV infection would represent the annual financial burden of HBV infection to the Singaporean society as a whole. The estimated total annual cost of chronic HBV infection and its associated complications in Singapore was US$279 million (range US$34–941 million when allowing various assumptions as tested by the sensitivity analyses), with 58% or US$161 million attributable to direct cost. Based on the base-case estimation, total direct cost alone is equivalent to 12% of the national healthcare expenditure for 2003. The total cost incurred by chronic hepatitis B patients represents the biggest cost component, followed by decompensated cirrhosis (DC) patients. The ratio of direct to indirect costs based on the base-case estimation increased with disease severity, with the highest ratio obtained for the post-liver transplants (40.2:1), followed by hepatocellular carcinoma (7.4:1) and DC patients (2.7:1). The results of this study suggest that the management of HBV infection poses more than a medical challenge as it is a sizeable economic burden from both the payer and societal perspectives.     

Costs of childhood asthma due to traffic-related pollution in two California communities

Recent research suggests the burden of childhood asthma that is attributable to air pollution has been underestimated in traditional risk assessments, and there are no estimates of these associated costs. We aimed to estimate the yearly childhood asthma-related costs attributable to air pollution for Riverside and Long Beach, CA, USA, including: 1) the indirect and direct costs of healthcare utilisation due to asthma exacerbations linked with traffic-related pollution (TRP); and 2) the costs of health care for asthma cases attributable to local TRP exposure. We calculated costs using estimates from peer-reviewed literature and the authors' analysis of surveys (Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, California Health Interview Survey, National Household Travel Survey, and Health Care Utilization Project). A lower-bound estimate of the asthma burden attributable to air pollution was US$18 million yearly. Asthma cases attributable to TRP exposure accounted for almost half of this cost. The cost of bronchitic episodes was a major proportion of both the annual cost of asthma cases attributable to TRP and of pollution-linked exacerbations. Traditional risk assessment methods underestimate both the burden of disease and cost of asthma associated with air pollution, and these costs are borne disproportionately by communities with higher than average TRP.     

The medical-care cost burden of obesity

Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity in many countries, stimulating interest in the health and economic consequences of this phenomenon. In this article, we provide a systematic review of the literature on the medical‐care cost burden of obesity. Relevant studies were identified using a computerized search of the medical literature for English‐language articles published between 1990 and 2001. The 18 studies that met all criteria for inclusion in the review can be classified as modelling or database studies and further distinguished as cross‐sectional or longitudinal in nature. The majority of studies that have been conducted are cross‐sectional modelling studies, including 10 studies reporting the burden of obesity to national health systems. These suggest that obesity accounts for 5.5–7.0% of national health expenditures in the United States and 2.0–3.5% in other countries for which estimates have been reported. Other studies highlight the burden of obesity from other perspectives, including employers and health plans, as well as the impact of obesity on future disease risks and associated medical‐care costs. Despite various methodological limitations, discussed herein, this body of research leads to the inescapable conclusion that obesity exacts an immense economic toll in various countries throughout the world.