Our analysis for the UK suggests that almost all the interventions identified are cost-effective for society – savings on healthcare costs and higher productivity could outweigh the direct investment required to deliver the intervention when assessed over the full lifetime of the target population. An integrated program to reverse rising obesity could save the National Health Service about $1.2 billion a year. It is important to note that not all of the interventions are cost-effective for the specific stakeholder delivering them. Sometimes the return on investment lands elsewhere in the economy, the benefits going to households or to healthcare systems, for instance. This misalignment of economic incentives is one of the major challenges inhibiting concerted coordinated action on obesity.
Figure 2. Cost-effective interventions to reduce obesity in the United Kingdom include controlling portion sizes and reducing the availability of high-calorie foods.