Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Public Policy and Obesity: The Need to Marry Science with Advocacy

2005; Elsevier BV; Volume: 28; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.psc.2004.09.001

1558-3147

Shirley S. Wang, Kelly D. Brownell,

Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology

Obesity rates have skyrocketed. Nearly half a billion people worldwide are considered overweight or obese [1], and twice as many American adults are overweight than not [2]. Being obese is associated with serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes [1–3]. The economic costs of obesity are also great; the direct costs account for approximately 7% of health care costs in the United States [4], and indirect costs caused by obesity-related sick leave and disability account for 10% of lost worker productivity [5]. Although obesity is a major public health issue [6–11], prevention has received little attention. The focus of obesity treatment and research still centers on individual responsibility and individual-level changes, and there is no coherent national strategy to reduce prevalence. Indeed, the US government has stood in the way of global progress on the issue [13–15]. This article addresses the causes of obesity. Biased by misattributions of cause, the nation has sidestepped the need for changes in the environment and instead has focused on the individual, typically by assigning blame to individuals and calling for personal responsibility. The article discusses medical versus public health models as they relate to obesity issue, and ends by proposing changes in public policy the authors believe may help advance the field.