ABSTRACT
The substantial costs of health care in the United States and the increasing demand for services have raised questions about the relative value of alternative approaches for the prevention and treatment of disease. Economic analyses can inform our choices among alternative uses of resources. The decision to conduct an economic analysis does not mean that less can or should be spent. Economic analysis is not a cost containment strategy. Instead, it is a tool to improve the value obtained for the money spent. In this chapter, we describe
and compare the cost-effectiveness of lifestyle interventions implemented in health-care and community settings with environmental measures including mass media campaigns, taxes, food labeling requirements, and food advertising bans; pharmacologic interventions; and bariatric surgery to prevent and treat obesity.
