Uncovering the Economic Costs of Unhealthy Diets: A New Methodology and Country Applications in Ethiopia and the Philippines

Publication:
Uncovering the Economic Costs of Unhealthy Diets: A New Methodology and Country Applications in Ethiopia and the Philippines

dc.contributor.author	World Bank
dc.contributor.author	FAO
dc.date.accessioned	2025-05-29T18:47:28Z
dc.date.available	2025-05-29T18:47:28Z
dc.date.issued	2025-06-25
dc.description.abstract	Understanding the economic costs attributable to unhealthy diets is essential for advocating health and agrifood investments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experiencing nutrition transitions. These costs encompass direct and hidden expenses, including absenteeism, presenteeism, and premature mortality. Recent estimates highlight that overweight and obesity contribute 2.2% of global GDP, with significant human costs reflected in millions of deaths associated with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), predominantly in LMICs. The World Bank projects that by 2035, obesity's hidden costs in LMICs will reach US$7 trillion. The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2024 report estimates global agrifood systems' hidden costs at over US$10 trillion at 2020 purchasing power parity, with 70% linked to unhealthy diets. These findings underscore the need for reformulating agrifood fiscal policies to promote healthy diets and reduce economic losses. This report employs a novel methodology to assess the economic costs of child stunting and adult diet-related NCDs attributable to unhealthy diets. Using the Lives Saved Tool (LiST), the study estimates that significant portions of child stunting costs in Ethiopia and the Philippines are due to suboptimal diets. For adult populations, the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) was utilized to analyze diet quality and its association with NCD risk factors such as high body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and fasting blood glucose (FBG). Results indicate widespread unhealthy diets across all BMI categories, suggesting that estimates based solely on overweight and obesity may underestimate actual costs. The report concludes that while the methodology provides valuable insights into the economic impacts of unhealthy diets, limitations such as outdated data and the need for robust dietary intake measures in LMICs must be addressed. Further research is necessary to refine these estimates and support policy development aimed at reducing diet-related economic burdens.	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1596/43260
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.1596/43260
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10986/43260
dc.language.iso	en_US
dc.publisher	Washington, D.C.: The World Bank and FAO
dc.rights	CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holder	World Bank and FAO
dc.rights.uri	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/igo
dc.subject	ECONOMIC COSTS
dc.subject	UNHEALTHY DIETS
dc.subject	NUTRITION TRANSITION
dc.subject	CHILD STUNTING
dc.subject	NUTRITION POLICY
dc.title	Uncovering the Economic Costs of Unhealthy Diets	en
dc.title.subtitle	A New Methodology and Country Applications in Ethiopia and the Philippines	en
dc.type	Report
dspace.entity.type	Publication
okr.crossref.title	Uncovering the Economic Costs of Unhealthy Diets: A New Methodology and Country Applications in Ethiopia and the Philippines
okr.date.disclosure	2025-05-29
okr.date.doiregistration	2025-05-31T02:11:12.076056Z
okr.date.doiregistration	2025-06-01T02:11:18.702429Z
okr.date.doiregistration	2025-06-02T02:10:53.040544Z
okr.date.doiregistration	2025-06-03T02:10:56.536001Z
okr.date.doiregistration	2025-06-04T02:10:49.653829Z
okr.doctype	Economic & Sector Work::Other Financial Sector Study
okr.region.country	Ethiopia
okr.region.country	Philippines
okr.topic	Health, Nutrition and Population::Food & Nutrition Policy
okr.topic	Health, Nutrition and Population::Health Economics & Finance