Taking bite out of food oversight bites us back

Little to nothing in the Affordable Care Act or the Republican replacement effort gets at the issue of reducing health care costs by stopping the true cause of runaway spending: the enormous increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases. Chronic disease is increasing seven times faster than our population: In 1974, Type 2 diabetes affected 2.2 million Americans. Today? 29 million. Hip and knee replacements have increased annually from 64,000 to over 1 million. You get the picture.

Why has this happened? Our genes haven’t changed. Our habits and culture have.

Regulations work

Research looking at the safety and effectiveness of government food regulations has shown that responsible rules and regulations can pay big dividends — not only when it comes to saving lives and preventing the suffering of millions of you, but also by saving big bucks and making our health care system run more smoothly and efficiently.

In a recent study from the University of Liverpool School of Public Health, researchers estimated that in the United States a 10 percent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages could prevent 31,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease every year.

The researchers also found that instituting a 10 percent subsidy for fruit and vegetables nationally could potentially result in 150,500 fewer CVD deaths in the U.S. by 2030. A 30 percent fruit and vegetable subsidy targeting only food stamp recipients was estimated to avert 35,100 CVD deaths and erase economic disparities in health outcomes; a mass media campaign to change dietary habits might avert 25,800 CVD deaths.

Plus, as we have reported before, the scheduled 2018 ban on trans fats could immediately produce more that $60 billion in annual health care savings.

The bill for not acting

Nearly 800,000 Americans die annually from cardiovascular diseases. An appalling $1 BILLION dollars a day is spent on medical costs and lost productivity related to heart disease and stroke. By 2030, annual direct medical costs associated with CVD will hit more than $818 billion; lost productivity costs could exceed $275 billion. We can and must improve on those numbers, since most cardiovascular disease is preventable.

What to do

Personally and as a country we need to stand up to the multibillion-dollar marketing campaigns.

The country needs to launch publichealth information campaigns to let us know this is a war for America’s survival. We suggest a three-prong effort:

1. Write your local and national representatives asking that they stand up for your right to have healthy, unadulterated food; enact regulations that ban food advertising to kids; support the trans fat ban; and consider creating incentives to buy healthier foods.

2. Change YOUR purchasing habits. Nothing talks directly to companies like a loss of business.

3. Educate your kids about making healthy, tasty food choices. If you can help them love foods that love them back, you’ll be promoting a healthier, happier future for them.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.