Obesity Epidemic and the Environment: Latin America and the Caribbean Region

by Matheus Koengkan, Jose Alberto Fuinhas, Aida Isabel P. Tavares, Nuno Silva

Overview

Obesity Epidemic and the Environment: Latin America and the Caribbean Region provides a broad analysis of the macroeconomic impact of the obesity epidemic on environmental degradation in the LAC region. Case studies combine theory and practice to achieve critical conclusions (and subsequent policy implications), providing useful tools for those working on actual health, energy and environmental challenges. Written for researchers, policymakers, international organizations and practitioners in various fields, especially those in public health, health economics, energy and environmental economics and social sciences, this book thoroughly highlights the obesity epidemic in this region.

In the LAC region, obesity has become a public health issue. The increase of this problem is related to the economic gains obtained from the process of liberalization and privatization, the increase of foreign investment, and infrastructure investments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780323993395
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	10/21/2022
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Matheus Koengkan is a PhD in Economics by the University of Évora. He is a researcher in the areas of Energy and Environmental Economics at Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, Coimbra (Portugal). He has published in international journals, such as Energy; Environmental Economics and Policy Studies; GeoJournal; Environmental Science and Pollution Research; and Environment Systems and Decisions.

José Alberto Fuinhas, PhD (in Economics) is a professor of Applied Energy Economics, and Intermediate Econometrics at the Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra (Portugal). He is a researcher in the areas of macroeconomics, energy economics, and environmental economics, at the CeBER - Centre for Business and Economics Research, sponsored by the Portuguese Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology. He has published in international journals, such as Energy, Economic Modelling; Energy Policy; Energy Economics; Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews; Applied Energy; Environmental Science and Policy; Environmental Resources and Economics, and Energy Sources Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy.

Aida Isabel Tavares holds a PhD in Economic Analysis, awarded by the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2008. She has been dedicated to research in Applied Health Economics and published several articles in international peer-reviewed journals. She has also published one book in public economics. Her research areas include health economics and policy, health systems, socioeconomic determinants of health, regulation in health markets, and economics evaluation. Prof. Tavares has also been teaching at different universities, specifically courses related to microeconomics, public economics, and health economics. Currently, she is collaborating with the Centre of Studies and Research in Health of the University of Coimbra in Portugal, and she is an Assistant Professor in Lisbon School of Economics and Management, University of Lisbon.

Nuno Miguel Barateiro Gonçalves Silva, PhD in Economics is a Professor of Microeconomics, Monetary and Financial Economics at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. He is a researcher in Finance and Environmental Economics, at the CeBER - Centre for Business and Economics Research, sponsored by the Portuguese Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology. He has published in international journals, such as Journal of Economics Dynamics and Control and Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

Table of Contents

1. Context of Obesity Problem in the Latin America Region 2. Determinants of Obesity in Latin America and the Caribbean Region 3. Interactions Between Obesity, Economic Growth, Globalisation, Urbanisation, and Poverty in Latin American and Caribbean Countries 4. The Effect of Urbanisation Process on Body Mass Index (BMI) in Latin American and Caribbean Countries 5. Impact of Obesity Epidemic on Economic Growth: An Empirical Evidence from Latin American and Caribbean Countries 6. Environmental Degradation in Latin America and the Caribbean Region 7. Causes to Environmental Degradation in the Latin America Region 8. The Consequences of Obesity Epidemic on Food Production: An Empirical Evidence from Latin American and Caribbean Countries 9. Does Obesity Epidemic Increase the Consumption of Fossil Fuels? Empirical Evidence from Latin American and Caribbean Countries 10. The Increase of Environmental Degradation by Obesity Epidemic in Latin American and Caribbean Countries

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A presentation of the consequences of obesity and environmental degradation in Latin American and Caribbean countries

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Patricia Escobar, MPH (Kaiser Permanente)
Description: This book presents a clear understanding of the current state of the obesity epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Each chapter reads as a research paper: comprehensive on its own, but chapters and concepts build on each other. It is an effective book for those looking to understand the region's state as it relates to the obesity epidemic and its impact on the economy and environment.
Purpose: The book aims to state the multifactorial impact of the obesity epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Each chapter contains deep and comprehensive analysis of various topics that contribute to the goal of the book to establish the link between the public health problem against its environmental impact.
Audience: While the book may attract a wide range of practitioners and international organizations, the book's primary audience is fellow economic researchers working on obesity and its impact on the economy, environment, and overall health of people.
Features: The book contains 10 short and comprehensive chapters. The chapters cover important statistics about the current state of the obesity epidemic while also discussing economic and environmental implications for Latin America and the Caribbean region. A key strength of the book is the ability to include just the right amount of information to understand the topic. This enables readers to focus on the important information without the need for extraneous content that doesn't contribute to the topic. The extensive references at the end of each chapter speak to how well this book was researched. Additionally, each chapter consists of one or more multiple "exhibits," which help summarize the topic of that chapter/section.
Assessment: The book presents clear, persuasive data and analyses of the obesity epidemic and its economic and environmental implications. It is a well-organized book with an array of topics surrounding the obesity problem and how they interact with other factors like economic growth, globalization, urbanization, and environmental factors, which support the understanding of such complex topics. While the information is compelling and the authors are experts in their field, having strategies and ideas on how to address issues raised in the book could have amplified the usability of the book, especially for public health practitioners and non-profit organizations aimed at supporting the countries in question. For example, highlighting a country and or a project that has promising results or reach to combat either the obesity epidemic or its environmental impact would have complemented the structure of the book.

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