Burden of obesity: from epidemic to costs
Golay, A.; Masciangelo, M.L.
Revue Medicale Suisse 1(12): 807
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 1660-9379 PMID: 15865352 Document Number: 589176
Nowadays, we count over 300 million obese in the world and this figure could double in twenty years. In industrialised countries, the prevalence of obesity is between 15 and 30%. In 2002, one third of the Swiss population suffers from excess body weight and obesity represents 7.7%. An increase of daily energy intake and a reduction of physical activity are the main causes. In 2001, the global costs induced by obesity and excess body weight in Switzerland reached CHF 2,690 billion. 98.4% of costs are due to obesity complications and only 1.6% are linked to the treatment of obesity without complication. Further prevention could be done with children and within a poor socio-economic population.