Estimating the Economic Burden of Diseases Related to High BMI: The Case of Greece

Konstantina Koronaiou () and Sophia Delipalla ()
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Konstantina Koronaiou: University of Macedonia
Sophia Delipalla: University of Macedonia

Chapter Chapter 24 in Advances in Applied Macroeconomics, 2025, pp 451-458 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Introduction The aim is to shed light on the economic cost of diseases related to excess body weight, in Greece, where the prevalence of overweight and obesity is among the highest in Europe, for both adults and children. Methods The economic cost of high body mass index (BMI) is estimated, using the cost of illness approach. Direct and indirect costs are calculated separately. Indirect costs consist of morbidity and mortality costs and are estimated analytically by gender, age, and disease. We use data for 2019 but also 2000 to enable comparisons. The main data source is the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study. Results Total economic cost of high BMI is estimated at 1.9% of gross domestic product. Among the three types of costs, direct cost is the highest one. Males and middle-aged people account for the largest part of indirect cost. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality cost while diabetes of morbidity cost. Conclusions High BMI imposes a heavy economic burden in Greece. Implementation of policies capable to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity is crucial.

Keywords: Overweight; Obesity; Economic cost; Healthcare expenditure; Mortality cost; Morbidity cost (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-76658-9_24

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-76658-9_24

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