Economic Burden of Not Complying with Canadian Food Recommendations in 2018

Abstract

Poor diet has been identified as a major cause of chronic disease. In this study we estimated the 2018 economic burden of chronic disease attributable to not complying with Canadian food recommendations. We retrieved the chronic disease risk estimates for intakes of both protective (fruit, vegetables, milk, whole grains, nuts and seeds) and harmful foods (sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meat, red meat) from the Global Burden of Disease Study, and food intakes from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey 24-hour dietary recalls (n = 19,797). Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated for all food–chronic disease combinations, and mathematically adjusted to estimate the 2018 annual direct (hospital, physician, drug) and indirect (human capital approach) economic burden for each disease. Not meeting the eight food recommendations was estimated to be responsible for CAD$15.8 billion/year in direct (CAD$5.9 billion) and indirect (CAD$9.9 billion) costs. The economic burden of Canadians under-consuming healthful foods exceeded the burden of overconsumption of harmful foods (CAD$12.5 billion vs. CAD$3.3 billion). Our findings suggest poor diet represents a substantial economic burden in Canada. Interventions may be more effective if they are wide in focus and promote decreased consumption of harmful foods alongside increased consumption of healthful foods, with emphasis on whole grains and nuts and seeds.

Healthcare Cost Savings Associated with Increased Whole Grain Consumption among Australian Adults

“…As in other parts of the world, Australians, in general, are non-compliant with many of the suggested dietary targets included in dietary guidelines [50]. Falling short on protective foods high in dietary fibre, such as fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, the adequacy of whole grain foods is just one of many aspects to be considered in policy.…”

“…As such, other ecconomic modelling studies considered multiple diet and lifestyle changes [54,55]. A Canadian study focused on the food categories important in the global burden of disease, where both protective foods (fruit, vegetables, milk, whole grains, nuts, and seeds) and "harmful foods" (sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meat, and red meat) realised CAD 15.8 billion/year, with a greater economic burden coming from under-consuming healthy foods (CAD 12.5 billion) versus the overconsumption of harmful foods (CAD 3.3 billion) [50]. This suggests that a greater focus on healthy foods such as whole grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts is likely to result in more effective policy and greater cost-savings than targeting less desirable food groups, a concept also suggested in the global burden of disease studies [7].…”

Cardiovascular Healthcare Cost Savings Associated with Increased Whole Grains Consumption among Adults in the United States

“…Loewen and colleagues estimated the economic burden (total direct health and indirect costs) of low whole grains consumption on cardiovascular outcomes including ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke at CAD$2.6 billion per year in 2018 [18]. We are not aware of other models assessing healthcare savings from increased consumption of whole grains in the general population in the US, therefore the results from this analysis provide the first estimate of potential US cost savings when whole grain consumption is directly aligned with the DGA.…”

Dietary nutrients of relative importance associated with coronary artery disease: Public health implication from random forest analysis

“…The quality of dietary carbohydrates plays a significant impact on the development of metabolic diseases and CAD. For instance, refined sugar increases CAD’s risk, while complex carbohydrates lower CAD incidence [ 8 , 9 ]. Total dietary fat was associated with an increased risk of CVD and all-cause death [ 10 ].…”