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About the Centre for Economics of Obesity

Working with local authorities and external collaborators, the Centre for Economics of Obesity is developing new methods to measure the cost-effectiveness of interventions to reduce levels of population obesity. Our research programme is organised across six workstreams, all focused on the wider determinants of obesity.

A key focus of the Centre is to generate capacity in new researchers working closely with local authorities, public representatives, and local and regional stakeholders generating economic evidence to help reduce obesity.

Our current workstreams

  1. Urban/environmental: estimate the economic and social value from maintaining and refurbishing local green and blue space.
  2. Workplace: measure the cost-effectiveness from embedding health and wellbeing training into apprenticeship/professional training schemes.
  3. Education: evaluate the short- and long-term costs and effects of the national School Food Standards.
  4. Retail: measuring the impact of food voucher schemes within a supermarket environment and understanding how retailers can influence food buying habits.
  5. Transport: measuring the cost-effectiveness of making changes to local active travel networks.

  6. Economic modelling: development of economic models/tools to assist local and regional decisions on population-wide interventions that tackle the determinants of obesity.