Obesity (Law and Economics) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Obesity (Law and Economics) - Essay Example It, therefore, is an economic issue that also involves the intervention of policies and laws of the government. According to WHO, health is a major consideration as a measure of living standards. According to Stettner, WHO defines good health as a status when someone has sound physical, mental or sociological state that warrants him or her to be in a state of well-being (209). It may also refer to a state in which one has no disease. The international community is facing a great health problem with the increasing instances of obesity and its associated effects. Obesity is an epidemic that is recognizable by the WHO, today. It poses global health consequences to various governments. This call for the setting up of an international legal framework that would see various governments set up ways to address the epidemic of obesity. Various countries and jurisdictions have a number of policies that look into the issue and provide necessary intervention measures to deal with it. Instituting such legal frameworks also lead to potential consequences that are unintentional. Policymakers also face many challenges when instituting such laws and policies aimed at finding solutions into the epidemic of obesity (Stettner 210). On the economic front, the international community is undergoing challenging times. ... The economic turndown experienced by the international community may further lead to increased cases of obesity. This is because people may turn to less expensive dietary measures consisting of food that is high in calorie. This is because of the economic hardships. It is essential for governments and global institutions to find ways of institutionalizing policies meant to reduce cases of obesity while addressing the current global economic challenges. Acs, Henderson, Levy and Stanton note that obesity is an issue that affects the business fraternity, the government and citizens or individuals on a common scale (221). It, therefore, presents a range of challenges to various sectors of the government and all levels of the society. The health sector bears challenges of high budgeting and costs involved in addressing the obesity epidemic. There are, in addition, cultural dimensions of this health menace affecting the government. All institutions in the United States (both corporate and public) have different avenues set to tackle the issue of obesity (Acs, Henderson, Levy and Stanton 221). Such avenues aim at promoting public awareness on the effects, causes and costs of obesity. Americans, therefore, receive ethical information about the outrage of obesity among them. The initiatives aim at reducing the costs (direct and indirect) incurred in relation to combating obesity. Businesses have initiatives aimed at determining income that that affect eating among the population. Businesses may also have influence on physical activities including exercise through job tasks. In this view, businesses help address obesity as an economic issue. According to Acs, Henderson, Levy and Stanton, public policy plays an immense role