Costs of inactivity have decreased: 'economics' of weight loss said to fuel obesity epidemic.(Clinical Rounds)

WASHINGTON -- The "economics" of weight loss need to be improved before many Americans will make a serious effort to lose weight, Eric Finkelstein, Ph.D., said at a meeting on obesity sponsored by Global Business Research Ltd.

The economics of obesity are, in part, behind the current epidemic, said Dr. Finkelstein, an economic and health policy researcher at RTI International, in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

The "costs" of inactivity have decreased. "Due to technology, you can accomplish the same activities with less effort," he said. Simultaneously, the benefits of physical inactivity have increased now that the Internet, computer games, cable television, and other nonphysical activities are readily available. These factors are combined with a decline in non-leisure time physical activity.

Dr. Finkelstein said that even though he runs for half an hour most days, he is hard-pressed to meet the 10,000 steps per day often recommended for optimal physical activity.

Finally, "unintentional" exercise, such as walking up stairs, is almost nonexistent now that elevators and escalators are omnipresent, he added.

Declining food prices also play a part. "Compared to nonfood commodities, food prices were going up prior to the 1970s, and then they started to come down. Energy-dense foods are relatively cheaper now than they were 20-30 years ago."

Any antiobesity campaign will have to address the three different types of obese patients, Dr. Finkelstein said.