Unhealthy diets cost us 154 billion each year – Dagens Næringsliv

Diet

Had population followed dietary recommendations from government, would society and people got a profit of 154 billion a year, according to the Directorate of Health.

Published: 03/15/2016 – 7:05 Updated: 03/15/2016 – 7:15

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the calculations is made on behalf of the Ministry of Health and presented Tuesday. Spending in health services be according to the report been 12 billion less a year if people had eaten healthy. In addition, the overall health benefits in terms of longer life and improved quality of life for the individual, with a total estimated value of 136 billion annually. These include reduced absenteeism, disability and longer life, which annually would result in increased tax revenues of around 6 billion per year.

– It is important to have a sound knowledge base for assessing the benefits of any measures to improve the population’s diet, said health and Human Services Bent Høie (H) said.

Good year

Tuesday attending Høie at conference “meal Joy – healthy for all” in Stavanger, which included in the government work with a new national action plan for diet. Along with Agriculture and Food Jon Georg Dale (H) and Fisheries Per Sandberg (FRP) he is hosting the interdisciplinary meeting place.

Høie emphasizes that the purpose of the calculation of costs is not about savings in the state budget:

– As many as 88 percent of society gain the health benefits accruing to each of us in more good years of life and more quality of life, due to the reduced risk of death and disease.

According to calculations, a person with an average diet could get two good years of life added by following dietary recommendations. For people with more unhealthy diet than the average, the health benefits could be significantly larger by adding about.

Goodies

Last week la Public Health presented a report showing that unhealthy lifestyles are the taking the most lives in Norway.

– Norway has joined the wHO’s goal of reducing premature death from non- communicable diseases such as cancer, COPD, diabetes and cardiovascular disease by 25 percent by 2025 . The report is a good starting point also to calculate costs. We will take with us this in the work of the action plan that we are now starting. Parliament has also previously asked to receive such calculations on the diet in line with what is done on physical activity, says Høie.

Although he speaks warmly of following dietary advice, the health minister did not raise his index finger against Easter candy, smågodtpriskrig and advertising for sugar bombs:

– I think people should be allowed to enjoy themselves at Easter and fill up Easter egg sitting. The important thing is not what we are enjoying ourselves with during the holidays, but the food we eat every day. (© NTB)