In 2030, the number of deaths due to inadequate nutrition should exceed the number of deaths caused by tobacco in Portugal, which spends 10% of total health spending on treating diseases caused by overweight.
The warnings are part of the new DG Health National Promotion Program (PNPAS) 2022-2030, introduced this Friday, which states that health care costs for obesity-related diseases are equivalent to 207 euros per person per year . .
According to the document, 10% of the health care spending that the country allocates for the treatment of these diseases is higher than the average for countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (8.4%). Gross domestic product (national GDP).
The projections for 2030 also show that of the total projected deaths, the percentage attributed to dietary errors will be 13.8% and 12% due to overweight and obesity, “surpassing smoking, which has a projected percentage of deaths of 11.1%. “. .
The plan estimates that between 2020 and 2050, being overweight and associated illnesses could contribute to a decline in life expectancy by about 2.2 years.
“Inadequate nutrition is one of the main preventable causes of chronic disease, loss of quality of life and premature death in Portugal. In the coming years, it is estimated that inadequate nutrition could surpass tobacco as the modifiable risk factor that most influences the burden of disease at the national level,” the document warns.
Inadequate nutrition, one of the main preventable causes of non-communicable chronic diseases such as obesity, cancer, cerebrovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, contributed to 7.3% of life years lost due to disability and 11.4% of deaths in 2019.
The now published Portuguese dietary data also shows that 76% of the Portuguese population consume salt above the maximum allowable level, and 24.3% consume more sugar than the maximum recommended by the World Health Organization, which is a much higher percentage. higher in children (40.7%) and adolescents (48.7%).
In addition, 56% of the Portuguese population does not consume the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables, with the percentage of “inadequacy being of particular concern in the group of children (72%) and adolescents (78%)”.
According to the document, ultra-processed foods make up about 24% of total daily energy intake, and 29% of total daily food intake comes from a set of foods not included in the food wheel (cakes, sweets, cookies, savory snacks). , pizza, soft drinks, nectars and alcoholic drinks).
“Obesity, as a chronic disease and at the same time a risk factor for the development of other diseases, affects 28.7% of the adult population in Portugal (about two million people), while more than half of the population is overweight (67.6%).” , emphasizes the DGS document.
The plan also highlights that obesity and other chronic diseases associated with inadequate nutrition do not affect all populations equally, as evidence suggests that obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure “disproportionately affect people with greater socioeconomic vulnerability.” “.
PNPAS was established in 2012 as a priority health program and the document now released consolidates the new policy recommendations developed in the context of the new National Health Plan 2021-2030.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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