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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Oct 6.
Published in final edited form as: Lancet. 2015 Feb 19;385(9986):2510–2520. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61746-3

Table.

Cost-effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention interventions

Country Setting Target population Time horizon Measure of health gain Reference
Dominant (positive financial benefit and health gain)
Reduction of advertising of junk food Australia Media Children 0–14 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling Dominant (health gains and financial gains) Magnus et al 200917
Education programme to reduce sugar sweetened drink consumption Australia School Primary school children 7–11 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling Dominant Victoria Dept of Human Services18
Multifaceted targeted programme Australia School Overweight or obese primary school children 7–10 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling Dominant Victoria Dept of Human Services18
Multifaceted programme including nutrition and physical activity Australia School Primary school children 6 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling Dominant Victoria Dept of Human Services18
Education programme to reduce television viewing Australia School Primary school children 8–10 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling Dominant Victoria Dept of Human Services18
Family-targeted programme Australia Clinical Obese children 10–11 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling Dominant Victoria Dept of Human Services18
Likely to be cost effective (financial costs are worthwhile for the health gains)
Medical College of Georgia FitKid project USA School (after hours) 3rd grade students 1 year US$317 per 0·76% reduction in body fat Wang et al 200819
Be Active Eat Well multifaceted community based programme Australia School Primary school children 5–12 years 3 year intervention, life time modelling Net cost per DALY saved AU$29 798 Moodie et al 2013b20
APPLE multifaceted school-based programme New Zealand School Primary school children 5–12 years 4 years NZ$664–1708 per kg of weight gain prevented McAuley et al 201021
Multifaceted programme excluding nutrition and physical activity Australia School Primary school children 6 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling AU$21 300 per DALY saved Victoria Dept of Human Services18
Cuenca Study-school-based physical activity programme Spain School Primary school children 9–10 years old 8 months €500 saved per 1% decrease in triceps skinfold thickness Martinez et al 201122
Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) USA School Children 8–11 years 3 year intervention, modelling up to age 64 years US$900 per QALY saved Brown et al 200723
Planet Health USA School Children 11–14 years 2 school-years intervention, modelled to age 65 years US$4035 per QALY saved Wang et al 200324
Family-based group treatment Finland Clinical Obese children 7–9 years 6 months €53 per 1% decrease in weight Kalavainen et al 200925
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding Australia Clinical Severely obese adolescents 14–19 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling AU$4400 per DALY saved Ananthapavan et al 201026
Family-based GP mediated programme Australia Clinical Overweight or moderately obese children 10–11 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling AU$4700 per DALY saved Moodie et al 200827
RCT-evaluated lifestyle interventions to treat overweight and obesity UK Clinical Obese children 10–11 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling £13 589 per life-year gained Hollingworth et al 201228
Family-based group treatment Canada Clinical Children 8–12 years 20 weeks intervention Group treatment gave 14% reduction in overweight prevalence per $1000 spent. Goldfield et al 200129
Unlikely to be cost effective
Active after-school communities programmeme Australia School (after hours) Primary school children 5–11 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling AU$82 000 per DALY saved Moodie et al 201030
TravelSMART schools Australia Neighbourhood Primary school children 10–11 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling AU$117 000 per DALY saved Moodie et al 201131
Walking school bus Australia Neighbourhood Primary school children 5–7 years 1 year intervention, life-time modelling AU$760 000 per DALY saved Moodie et al 200932

These estimates regard effectiveness in terms of obesity reduction or change in body-mass index, but not other potential health benefits. DALY=disability-adjusted life-year. GP=general practitioner. RCT=randomised controlled trial. QALY=quality-adjusted life-year.