According to an OECD report published on Thursday, being responsible for multiple pathologies, obesity would cause a total cost of 425 billion dollars per year to the 52 countries studied. But an effective prevention policy could effectively reduce health costs and increase the GDP of the countries concerned.
Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, joint problems, hypertension… Today, nearly one in two inhabitants of the 34 out of 36 countries that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are overweight and 24% are obese. . And this increase in the prevalence of obesity has a significant cost on the economic growth of countries.
This is highlighted by an OECD report unveiled on Thursday and covering 52 countries, including the 36 that make up the international organization.
An effect on economic growth
This cost is primarily due to treatments for illnesses related to overweight. According to the report, 70% of all diabetes treatment costs are attributable to being overweight. The latter is also responsible for 23% of the costs of cardiovascular disease and 9% of those of cancer in the 36 countries belonging to the OECD. By 2050, the international organization estimates that the treatment of diseases related to overweight will be equivalent to 425 billion dollars each year in the 52 countries studied.
Overweight and obesity also have an impact on mortality: 92 million premature deaths are expected by 2050 in the countries of the OECD, the G20 and the European Union of 28, points out the report.
All countries are not equally concerned: it is in Mexico that the reduction in life expectancy linked to overweight in the next three decades will be the most significant, with 4.2 years lost. This is followed by Russia and Poland (3.9 years) then the United States (3.7 years). For its part, France is below the EU and OECD average with 2.3 years of life expectancy lost in thirty years.
Reduce expenses through prevention
The report also focuses on the cost of obesity, overweight and associated diseases in the health budget of countries: it is around 14% in the United States (i.e. 645 dollars per inhabitant and per year), 11% in Germany ($411 per capita per year) and around 5% in France ($148 per capita per year).
For the OECD researchers behind the report, it is necessary to act more effectively against the rise in the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the years to come. For this, they recommend a 20% reduction in the calories contained in foods high in sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat. According to an analysis of 42 countries, this could make it possible to avoid 1.1 million cases of chronic diseases per year by 2050. This measure would also save countries $ 13.2 billion per year by reducing health expenditure and an annual increase in GDP of 0.5%.
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