Health

Diet, those who eat badly spend 289 euro more per year and put their health at risk

A study by the Aletheia Foundation, sponsored by the Ministry of Health, shows that health care costs for diseases related to poor nutrition lead to a 3.3 per cent annual contraction of European GDP

by Cristina Casadei

11 July 2024

3' min read

Key points

Of those over 18, almost half are overweight.
Economic impact
The role of the Mediterranean diet
Consumption of ultra-processed food
Food controls
Stop Disinformation

3' min read

Poor nutrition and lifestyle not only put future health at risk, but also have an impact on personal wallets, with an extra cost of close to EUR 300 per person, and on GDP, causing a contraction of around 3.3%.

The correlation between erroneous diets and nutritional models, the onset of illnesses and increased economic and social costs was highlighted by a study presented to the Ministry of Health and entitled 'Diseases, Food and Health', carried out by the Aletheia Foundation, chaired by Stefano Lucchini and directed by Riccardo Fargione, with the coordination of thèscientific activities of Professor Antonio Gasbarrini, Dean of the Facultỳof Medicine and Surgery at the Università̀Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

Foto di Ferdinando Mezzelani GMT sport

Among adults, almost half are overweight

The study was carried out under the patronage of the Ministry of Health, led by Minister Orazio Schillaci, and showed that taking the rate of obesity, one of the main diseases linked to a diet based on ultra-processed products with high amounts of chemical additives, our country does not have such a critical situation. In 2023, the share of the older population with excess weight was less than half, 46.4 per cent. In the last twenty years, however, there has been a 7.1% increase in overweight people and a 36.4% increase in obese people. Diabetes is increasing much more: in the last 20 years, the incidence of this disease has risen by 65%. If we limit ourselves to the last few years, the curve is always upwards: from an incidence of 6.3% in 2021 to 6.6% in 2023.

The economic impact

Diseases linked to incorrect nutrition and lifestyle drive up healthcare costs and, according to a study by the Aletheia Foundation, also generate a 3.3% annual drop in European GDP. The study also tries to quantify the cost in euros of the increase in overweight linked to incorrect nutritional styles, which accounts for 9% of national health spending: it costs every Italian an extra €289 per year 'tax'.

The role of the Mediterranean diet

One of the main tools for combating these problems is certainly the Mediterranean diet, which is on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. For Professor Claudio Franceschi, emeritus of immunology at the University of Bologna and one of the authors of the research, 'the Mediterranean diet is a key element in the health of citizens because it has a number of favourable effects on body composition, the chronic inflammatory state characteristic of ageing, and also on a whole series of cognitive parameters'.

The consumption of ultra-processed food

Among the habits that are at the root of an unhealthy diet is that of consuming excessively processed foods. The report explains that a 20 per cent reduction in calorie intake from foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat could prevent 688,000 chronic diseases in Italy by 2050 and save 278 million euro a year in health spending: about 7 billion over the next 25 years.

Food controls

The guarantee of quality control̀ of the products taken both from a nutritional point of view and in terms of food safety also appears to be fundamental. From this point of view, our country enjoys a very positive situation given that Italian products are the most checked by the European authorities with over 11,300 samples analysed, followed by French products (around 10,000) and German products where the samples analysed are just under 8,700. In comparison, 10.3% of samples of non-EU origin had levels of pesticide contamination above legal limits, a full five times higher than those of EU origin (2%).

Stop the disinformation

The director of Aletheia, Riccardo Fargione, explains that we often witness 'disinformation and instrumentalisation that push towards consumption models that are harmful to citizens. We cannot allow this in a country like Italy, which boasts a culture and a wine and food heritage of absolute excellence. But we cannot allow it at a global level either, for the sake of our citizens and our children. And this is why, with the Aletheia Foundation, we have equipped ourselves with a team of doctors and scientists of the highest profile to try to debunk false myths and bring order to a very delicate subject'.