Overweight and obesity affect 25% of Australian children and 67% of Australian adults. The economic burden is immense, with obesity costing the Australian community $11.8 billion in 2018. Given scarce resources and competing health demands, evidence of which interventions represent the best value for money is critical to inform efficient resource allocation and decision-making.
Dr Vicki Brown is building the economic evidence for obesity prevention interventions. Her research provides rigorous evidence on the cost-effectiveness of different intervention options, to inform efficient resource allocation decisions.
In building this economic evidence, Dr Brown works closely with end-users including multiple levels of government, health services, practitioners, community organisations and the public. Dr Brown is passionate about knowledge exchange, and her research findings have been used to inform international and domestic policy and practice. Dr Brown is also passionate about sharing scientific evidence with general audiences and her work has appeared in the media, popular science articles and she regularly presents at science communication webinars/seminars.