The obesity epidemic is an economic issue

Free-market forces have helped create a health crisis – and governments must take action to stop subsidising junk foodIt is estimated that today’s obesity epidemic costs the global economy about $2tn (£1.6tn) or some 3% of GDP. For individuals, deciding what to eat is a jealously guarded privilege, but for economists obesity is not really about people exercising free-market choice. Instead it is a market failure.The causes of the epidemic are complex, spanning the social scienc