Using economics to impact local obesity policy: introducing the UK Centre for Economics of Obesity (CEO)

Worldwide, population obesity levels are at their highest recorded levels, having nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016. This leads to substantial pressure on health systems, a negative impact on economic development, and results in adverse physical and mental health outcomes. There are many economic reasons why reducing population obesity should be a priority, and global targets have been set with many governments pledging to reduce obesity levels by 2030. To achieve these targets, a 'system-wide' approach has been widely advocated in direct recognition of the wide-ranging complex interacting determinants of the disease. This system approach requires action at all levels, including at the local government level, to use all fiscal and non-fiscal levers to bring about local system change that promotes healthier population behaviours. Like many country contexts, in England, local resources for achieving this system change have been drastically reduced in recent years. Economic evaluation offers a formal explicit framework to support local decision making but, to date, there has been a disconnect between national guidance on cost-effectiveness and how that informs local action. A new Centre for Economics of Obesity has been purposively developed to work closely with local government to adapt methods to help achieve efficiency and equity gains. By working across six workstreams to begin with, this Centre will use economics to inform policy action on different but interrelated parts of the obesity system and act as a training hub for health economists working in obesity policy.