title: The potential health and economic effect of a Body Mass Index decrease in the overweight and obese population in Belgium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to examine the health and economic consequences of a Body Mass Index decrease in the Belgian overweight and obese population over a 20-year time period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health economic evaluation study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Markov decision-analytic model using a societal perspective was applied, projecting the one-year results of a one unit Body Mass Index decrease over a time horizon of 20 years. Scenario analysis was applied evaluating the effects on the results of an alternative modelling assumption. One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to assess the effects on the findings of varying key input parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A one unit Body Mass Index decrease resulted in improved health outcomes and cost savings/patient (overweight women: 785€, obese women: 1039€, overweight men: 613€, obese men: 864€). For the total overweight and obese population, a cost saving of 2.8 billion euros was estimated. Considering the economic value of the health impact would result in a total economic benefit of about 15.9 billion euros for the Belgian society over a 20 year time period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A one unit Body Mass Index reduction in the overweight and obese population in Belgium was found to be associated with improved health outcomes and cost savings. The evidence of such research can assist regulatory bodies in the allocation of healthcare budgets in a more efficient way.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Public Health, Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: nick.verhaeghe@ugent.be.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verhaeghe
authors.affiliation: Weight Watchers N.V., Belgium.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: De Greve
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Annemans
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008390:Markov Chains; D008875:Middle Aged; D018803:Models, Economic; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk
keywords: Body Mass Index; Health economic evaluation; Markov model; Obesity; Overweight