Is the 'Invisible Hand of the Market' Making People Overweight?

The “invisible hand of the market” may be contributing to the obesity epidemic by facilitating the spread of fast food, a new study finds.

The study, conducted by researcher based in the U.S. and Ireland, was published in the February edition of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

Looking at data from 1999 to 2008 spanning 25 high-income countries, the team of researchers studied the number of fast food transactions per capita and compared them with figures on body mass index (BMI).

They found that an increase in the average number of annual fast food transactions per capita was associated with an increase in BMI.

While all 25 countries experienced an increase in the average number of annual fast food transactions per capita, the lowest increases were in countries with more stringent market regulation, such as Italy, the Netherlands, Greece and Belgium.

“Unless governments take steps to regulate their economies, the invisible hand of the market will continue to promote obesity worldwide with disastrous consequences for future public health and economic productivity,” said lead author Dr. Roberto De Vogli from the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis.