Finkelstein Eric A, Ruhm Christopher J, Kosa Katherine M
RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA.
Annu Rev Public Health. 2005;26:239-57. doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.26.021304.144628.
Obesity is not only a health but also an economic phenomenon. This chapter (a) examines underlying economic causes, such as technological advancements, behind the obesity epidemic; (b) describes economic consequences of obesity, including increasing obesity-related medical expenditures; and (c) discusses the role of government in combating the obesity epidemic. Because of the high costs of obesity, and the fact that the majority of these costs are financed by taxpayers, there is a clear motivation for government to try to reduce these costs. However, because obesity may result from poor information and addictive behavior and/or as a result of living in an increasingly obesogenic environment, interventions will need to be multifaceted to ensure the best chance of success.
肥胖不仅是一种健康现象，也是一种经济现象。本章（a）探讨肥胖流行背后的潜在经济原因，如技术进步；（b）描述肥胖的经济后果，包括与肥胖相关的医疗支出增加；（c）讨论政府在抗击肥胖流行中的作用。由于肥胖成本高昂，且这些成本的大部分由纳税人承担，政府显然有动力试图降低这些成本。然而，由于肥胖可能是由信息匮乏、成瘾行为和/或生活在日益容易导致肥胖的环境中造成的，干预措施需要多方面进行，以确保获得最大的成功机会。
