Shared Value Creation – How innovative Business Strategies can assist to combat obesity

Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity in the last decades and along with this, chronic diseases like heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure and diabetes, the need for private enterprises to contribute in the combat against obesity has become more important. In order to have a more healthy society, innovative and sustainable concepts need to be devised. The concept of shared value creation, an advancement of corporate social responsibility, depicts to be sustainable and innovative, not only to enhance public health. As the economic crisis worldwide affected private companies of all sizes, the concept of shared value creation provides innovative business strategies in order to gain competitive advantage and sustainable growth of the affected private sector. This thesis aims to analyze the potential of share value creation in order to support society for a more healthy nutrition and healthier environment to decrease the epidemic obesity in the developed world. By means of this concept, the analysis showed, that private companies from different industries have the power to contribute to a more healthy society and at the same time to gain competitive advantage and clear business benefits. The findings of this thesis support the idea besides the government, NGO's or public institutions private entities can succeed to lower the prevalence of obesity. When decision makers and policy makers incorporate this findings, further solutions for society can be provided in respect to the worldwide epidemic obesity.