PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 593 - 12 Dec 2009

Cost effectiveness of restricting TVfood ads targeting children

Australian research suggests that restricting TVadvertisements targeting children could be "one of themost cost-effective population-based obesity preventioninterventions available to governments today".

An economic analysis, conducted as part of theAssessing Cost-Effectiveness in Obesity (ACE-Obesity)project, investigated the health benefits and costeffectiveness of precluding advertising of energy-dense,nutrient-poor (EDNP) food and beverages during peakchildren’s TV viewing hours. Benefits were modelled interms of changes in body mass index (BMI) anddisability-adjusted life years (DALYs) saved. The impactof the intervention was estimated using the bestavailable evidence, which included trials investigatingthe effects of behavioural interventions on foodconsumption, as well as parallel evidence of behaviouralchanges resulting from reductions in advertising of otherproducts, such as toys, tobacco and alcohol. The targetpopulation was all children aged 5–14 years in Australiain 2001 (2.4 million children).

The total cost of the intervention was $A130 000,*which was the cost of two additional staff required tomonitor the tightened regulatory framework. The healthbenefit was estimated as a median BMI reduction of0.17 per child, or 0.014 DALYs saved per child. Thegross cost per DALY saved was $3.70 (95% CI $2.40,$7.70). Given cost offsets, assessed in terms of futurehealth sector costs saved, of $300 million, theintervention was considered dominant compared withcurrent practice.* Australian dollars

Magnus A, et al. The cost-effectiveness of removing television advertising of high-fat and/or high-sugar food and beverages to Australian children. InternationalJournal of Obesity 33: 1094-1102, No. 10, Oct 2009 801129861

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PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 12 Dec 2009 No. 5931173-5503/10/0593-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved