Elevated BMI costs Ireland an estimated 3.2bn annually.
**Please see poster about use of BMI as outcome measure.
Overweight and obesity linked to 278,000 deaths and the loss of 8 million years of healthy life in 8 European countries
A new study across eight countries in Europe shows that elevated body mass index (BMI) is linked to major health and economic costs each year.
With 56% of people in Europe being overweight or living with obesity (2024) – including a third of all children – the health and financial impact of these conditions on European countries is starkly laid out in a new report published today.
The Economic Burden of Overweight and Obesity in Europe by the Office for Health Economics (OHE) commissioned by EFPIA, quantifies the health and economic burden associated with overweight and obesity across eight European countries – Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Greece, Romania and the United Kingdom.
The data shows that the impact of elevated BMI goes far beyond the health sector highlighting the need for a cross-governmental and broader societal response to obesity and associated diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Between 18% and 58% of total costs in the study countries were due to productivity losses from premature mortality and economic inactivity, absenteeism, presenteeism, and lost time due to caregiving.
Direct health costs are driven by the impact of obesity and elevated BMI on other non-communicable diseases: For example, elevated BMI is linked to:
Nearly 60% of health losses (DALYs) caused by type 2 diabetes
45% of health losses caused by digestive disease
32% of health losses caused by chronic kidney disease
The study also shows that annual costs from elevated BMI range from 0.6% to 1.4% of GDP across eight study countries – and suggests these could be avoided if diseases were prevented, detected and managed earlier and better.
What next?
We have the report, we have the figures, we now need action.
The report calls for formal recognition, prevention and treatment as a chronic disease, concerted action to reduce systemic stigma and biases, and consistent incorporation of economic impacts in intervention and policy appraisal.
Find the report and press release on the EFPIA website and the OHE website
