Direct and Indirect Cost of Obesity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Obesity is a predictor for various diseases, especially for non-communicable diseases. Obesity impacts large economic burden for patient, healthcare system and the government. This study aims to review the economic impact of obesity worldwide, in terms of direct and indirect costs component of obesity. A systematic review was performed on PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases during the period 2008-2018. A combination key terms such as “obesity”, “overweight and obesity”, “weight excess”, “economic burden”, “financial burden”, “cost”, “cost of illness”, “direct cost”, “healthcare cost”, “indirect cost”, “productivity loss cost”, and “adult” were used for the search. Relevant original articles published in English and reported both direct and indirect cost of obesity were included in the study. A total of 61 studies were retrieved, then 8 studies were finally selected that met all eligibility criteria which reported both direct and indirect cost of obesity in developing and developed countries. Almost all of studies reported that indirect costs have more proportion than direct costs. The economic burden of obesity was estimated to 0.13-0.22% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 1.5-5.6% of health expenditures. Our review indicated that the direct and indirect cost of obesity has a significant impact to healthcare system and the country. Some health programs and policies are required and should be implemented as soon as possible to reduce the economic impact of obesity.