There are a number of very real direct “costs” to individuals,
communities, and societies resulting from the current “war on
obesity.” The direct consequences of this “war” include
disordered eating practices, weight cycling, body
dissatisfaction, bullying, weight stigma, bariatric surgery,
insurance exclusions, and a general reinforcement of fat-phobic,
weight-centric health ideas that don’t really serve to improve
anyone’s health or wellbeing, regardless of their weight or
size. These consequences are costly indeed in both economic and
human terms, and collectively have a profound impact on health.
But what about the opportunity costs? Opportunity cost is a term
of art from the field of economics, and may be defined as: “A
benefit, profit, or value of something that must be given up to
acquire or achieve something else. Since every resource (land,
money, time, etc.) can be put to alternative uses, every action,
choice, or decision has an associated opportunity cost.” A key
feature of opportunity costs is th