title: The economics of childhood obesity.
abstract: In the past few decades, obesity rates among American children have skyrocketed. Although many factors have played a part in this unhealthy increase, this paper focuses on how economic policies may be contributing to our children's growing girth and how these policies might be altered to reverse this trend. It examines the economic causes and consequences of obesity, the rationales for government intervention, the cost-effectiveness of various policies, and the need for more research funding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Policy Analysis and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA. JHC38@cornell.edu
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cawley
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology