Global Economic Influences on Obesity Trends

Global obesity trends have been shaped by a complex interplay of economic factors, ranging from the rise in per capita income and urbanisation to shifts in trade policy and food system integration. As countries develop, rising gross domestic product per capita often leads to greater household purchasing power and increased consumption of calorie-dense processed foods. Trade liberalisation and reductions in tariffs on agricultural imports have lowered the cost of sugar, oils and other commodities that form the basis of ultra-processed products, while foreign direct investment in food processing and retail sectors has accelerated the global diffusion of convenience foods. Urban migration and changing labour patterns reduce time available for home cooking, fuelling demand for ready-to-eat items. These forces interact with social determinants such as socioeconomic inequality and regulatory environments to produce heterogeneous obesity prevalence within and between nations. Policy responses have included fiscal measures on sugar-sweetened beverages, subsidies for healthy foods and interventions to strengthen domestic food production, underscoring the need for multisectoral approaches that address both supply- and demand-side drivers of obesogenic environments.

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Global Economic Influences on Obesity Trends publication trend

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Technical terms

Body mass index (BMI): A measure of body fat based on weight relative to height, used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity.

Trade liberalisation: The process of reducing or eliminating barriers to the free exchange of goods and services between countries, typically through tariff reductions or the removal of quotas.

Tariffs: Taxes levied on imported goods, designed to protect domestic industries or generate government revenue, which can influence food prices and consumption patterns.

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita: A gauge of a country’s economic output divided by its population, reflecting average income levels and purchasing power.

References

1. Heterogeneous Effects of Obesity on Life Expectancy: A Global Perspective. Annual Review of Resource Economics (2023).
2. Trade policy reform, retail food prices and access to healthy diets worldwide. World Development (2024).
3. The international diffusion of food innovations and the nutrition transition: retrospective longitudinal evidence from country-level data, 1970–2010. BMJ Global Health (2023).
4. The role of individual and contextual economic factors in obesity among adolescents: A cross-sectional study including 143 160 participants from 41 countries. Journal of Global Health (2024).