Health Economics of Obesity

A Cross-Cultural Examination of Markets and Psychographic Factors

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate and both developed and developing countries are affected. The whole journey of this book began with a humble initiative to document research on health economics of obesity and its implications in industrialized countries. The main aim of this book is to present contemporary issues on health economics of obesity for researchers, academics, marketers (consumer behaviour), sociologists, healthcare practitioners, policy makers and students who have an interest in the field of health economics. The content of this book is derived from research conducted from various perspectives. It consists of a systematic compilation of chapters on different important variables which affect obesity. The research topics span from the direct to indirect effect of: smoking behaviour and alcohol consumptions, physical activities, dietary habits, and psychographics, on obesity across cultures in developed nations. It also examines various demographic groups in which obesity tends to be more apparent. It provides an assessment of the various measurement instruments which were developed and adapted in various studies across cultures to measure various variables associated with obesity. It is hoped that this book will provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to learn more about the various factors that impact on obesity and further investigate them in different settings especially in developing countries.