The public health intervention to address obesity has highlighted weight loss as an effective intervention to minimize the incidence of obesity-related diseases. The intervention is cost-effective because it is preventive as opposed to curative. The curative cost for obesity is $147 billion annually. However, the cost of weight loss is lower. The article shows that the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) is $46,914. However, this figure is not holistic. Therefore, the total savings for the weight loss intervention cannot be $147 billion, as the article stipulates, because this would mean that the intervention is free, (the total cost of treating obesity is $147 billion). Furthermore, it cannot be free because people have to be educated about the importance of weight loss if they have to accept the intervention (McLean, Griffin, Toney & Hardeman, 2003). Weight loss programs could also include gym membership subscriptions and similar interventions that cost money. The potential savings of the weight loss of the medical cost of obesity should therefore be the cost of these interventions subtracted from the initial $147 billion. Overall, the results should show that the intervention is cost-effective.
The success of public health interventions depends on the quality of research that precedes the introduction of an intervention (McLean et al., 2003). For example, there should be a deliberate attempt to align an intervention with community goals and prevailing cultural practices (Foster, Makris & Bailer, 2005). Similarly, the target population should understand why they participate in the intervention in the first place. Weight loss, as a formidable intervention to prevent obesity, would work in my community because people know the dangers of obesity and understand that weight loss is an effective strategy for managing the disease. Therefore, there would be little resistance to such an intervention because some of my community members already suffer from lifestyle diseases associated with diabetes. Since most of them are aware of the importance of managing their weight, is it plausible to believe that awareness is essential for the success of public health interventions?
References
Foster, G., Makris, A., & Bailer, B. (2005). Behavioral treatment of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr, 82(1), 230-235.
McLean, N., Griffin, S., Toney, K., & Hardeman, W. (2003). Family involvement in weight control, weight maintenance, and weight-loss interventions: a systematic review of randomized trials. International Journal of Obesity, 27(1), 987–1005.