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'Wicked' is the term used to describe some of the most challenging and complex issues of our time, many of which threaten human health. Climate change, biodiversity loss, persisting poverty, the advancing obesity epidemic, and food insecurity are all examples of such wicked problems.
What makes a wicked problem?
A challenge can be considered a wicked problem if the following criteria are met: The problem has an unknown set of potential consequences. The amount of information available to “solve” the problem is unmeasurable. The problem is difficult to define and frame.
Why is obesity a wicked problem?
Obesity is a wicked problem because it is complex and involves a multitude of conflicting stakeholders, lifestyle choices, and physiological factors. One of the biggest obstacles to combating obesity is our evolutionary need to eat and the effectiveness of storing fat as a survival mechanism.
What is a wicked problem in economics?
A wicked problem is a problem, usually social or cultural, that is challenging or impossible to solve either because not enough is understood about the problem, the number of stakeholders involved, the number of varying opinions, the economic burden, or the impact of these problems with other problems.
