Health economics examines both the costs of care (economic burden) as well as the potential costs savings of disease/treatment
avoidance. The objectives of this chapter are to first examine the current epidemiological data that describe the health status
of adults and the economic burden of disease; second, to review the potential for disease/adverse event prevention associated
with consumption of healthy diets/nutritional interventions in both developed and developing nations, and finally, to look
at the cost-effectiveness of preventive nutrition strategies in relevant populations. The major diseases/conditions examined
in this chapter include obesity, nutritionally related adverse pregnancy outcomes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases,
cancer, age-related blindness, and osteoporosis. Our goal is to document the totality and the consistency of the data and
then attempt to quantify the savings that could be seen once preventive nutrition strategies are put in place.
Key Points • The economic burden of obesity, nutritionally related adverse pregnancy outcomes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease,
cancer, age-related blindness, and osteoporosis is a global problem and costs will continue to rise as the developed nations’
population age and the developing nations continue to have high birth rates.
• Major discoveries have been made in preventive nutrition within the past 20 years including utility of folic acid in neural
tube birth-defect prevention, high-dose antioxidants plus high doses of zinc for reduction of age-related macular degeneration
progression, and calcium and vitamin D in hip fracture prevention.
• Implementation of preventive nutrition strategies has been shown to be cost-effective in developing nations and in more
economically advantaged populations.
• Daily use of Certain nutritional supplements, such as multi vitamins, reduce the risk of several adverse pregnancy outcomes,
is associated with reduced risk of age-related visual and neurological deterioration, and several types of cancers.
• Improvements in diets, cessation of lifestyle habits that increase the risk of chronic disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes,
daily exercise, and the consumption of dietary supplements where indicated will decrease health-care costs.