The Growing Global Obesity Risk: Implications and Strategies

Obesity is one of most significant and fastest growing risks facing entities providing life and health insurance. Globally, obesity has tripled in just the last 45 years and consistently ranks as one of the top risks of mortality and morbidity according to the Global Burden of Disease Study. It has also emerged as one of the leading risk factors for severe cases of COVID-19. While the sharply increasing rate of obesity first occurred in wealthier nations, it has now become a global pandemic as public health strategies and other efforts to reverse this trend have largely been ineffective.

This session will first examine the implications for this rising wave of obesity across the world, with a focus on impacts to life and health risk-bearing entities. Then, a review of past and present strategies to combat obesity will be provided along with a quantitative analysis focusing on historical food consumption and physical activity demonstrating why these efforts have not been successful. Based on this data, new financial incentive-based strategies that directly address key drivers of obesity in a cost-effective and culturally relevant and appropriate manner will be introduced and discussed. Finally, the practical role that actuaries can play in guiding the design and implementation of these proposed strategies will be presented.

Find the Q&A here: Q&A on 'Risks and Strategies to Improve Health Outcomes'