Stemming the Tide of Obesity: What Needs to Happen

Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics Conference in Granada, July 2012

40 Pages Posted: 13 Aug 2012

See all articles by John F. Tomer

John F. Tomer

Manhattan College - Department of Economics and Finance

Date Written: July 1, 2012

Abstract

This paper argues for the kind of societal and policy efforts that would be necessary to resolve the social problem of obesity. Because of the large scale of the problem, it is necessary to explain about 1) why a social movement is necessary and 2) the kinds of government policy efforts that would have a real chance of eliminating or drastically reducing obesity. The purpose of this paper is not to provide details of a specific antiobesity policy plan(s). Its purpose is first to explain about the essential causes of obesity and second to outline the kinds of efforts that need to happen to fix the obesity problem. The needed efforts are not just those of governments; they include efforts of communities, grass-roots groups, individuals, and food businesses. The needed efforts are numerous and taken as a whole constitute a socio-economic transformation. Such a transformation involves reversing the negative behavior (especially food and exercise) patterns that contribute to obesity.

To accomplish such a transformation would require that knowledge of the role of poor eating and behavior patterns in obesity become widespread and that people act on this knowledge. It would require that food businesses (suppliers and processors) accept responsibility for the role of processed/prepared food in obesity and take responsibility for improving the healthfulness of their food offerings and eradicating the toxic food environment. It would require that health practitioners fully understand the role of eating and behavior in obesity and provide good advice on this. For these things to happen would require an important societal change in values. People would have to value their health and healthful living patterns much more than in the past. Moreover, people would have to no longer accept negative opportunistic behavior on the part of food businesses.

Resolving obesity would not only require a comprehensive policy program but it would require a social movement spearheaded by grass-roots groups who understand the magnitude of the health threat and are highly motivated to take whatever actions are needed. People involved in such a social movement will demand many government policies to deal with our excessive and unhealthy fat. Further, people will have to invest more in appropriate intangible human capital (personal, health, and social capital); in particular, they will have to become more emotionally intelligent about dealing with food. And businesses will have to change their practices as they come to accept their responsibility for the obesity problem. This paper attempts to envision what is necessary to fix obesity. Hopefully, people at all levels of society will become inspired by such optimistic visions and will act energetically on them.

Keywords: obesity, antiobesity policy, social movemennt, personal capital, health capital, infrastructure of obesity, nutrition transition

JEL Classification: I11, I18, J24

Suggested Citation

Tomer, John F., Stemming the Tide of Obesity: What Needs to Happen (July 1, 2012). Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics Conference in Granada, July 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2128620

John F. Tomer (Contact Author)

Manhattan College - Department of Economics and Finance ( email )

Riverdale, NY 10471
United States
518-273-1851 (Phone)

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