Research
Mixed
Current Markov models for obesity interventions exhibit significant methodological heterogeneity, particularly in how they model the progression of obesity and its impact on costs and utilities.
When comparing economic evaluations of obesity treatments, be aware that different studies use different structures (direct BMI-to-cost vs. BMI-to-complications). This makes direct comparison difficult. Look for studies that use standardized validation and include a broad spectrum of complications.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
There were two main approaches to modeling the impact of obesity and anti-obesity intervention on cost and health consequence: (1) direct BMI to cost and consequence; (2) BMI change to obesity-related complications.
Why this rating
Systematic review findings showing variation across 21 models.
Source
Critical Analysis of Markov Modeling for the Economic Evaluation of Obesity Interventions: A Systematic Review
Qiucen Lin et al. · Risk Management and Healthcare Policy · 2025
DOI 10.2147/rmhp.s528064
systematic_reviewCited 2×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Markov models are the dominant methodological framework for economic evaluations of obesity interventions, with 85% of reviewed studies utilizing state-transition models.Good
- Diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are the most frequently modeled obesity-related complications in Markov models, with DM appearing in 15/15 models focusing on complications and CVD in 14/15.Good
- Validation practices in Markov models for obesity interventions are inconsistently reported, with only 43% of models reporting validation, limiting the reliability and comparability of these evaluations.Good
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
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