UK’s ‘staggering’ addiction to ‘junk’ food ‘costs £268bn a year’ as pressure mounts on the NHS

16 November 2024, 10:43 | Updated: 16 November 2024, 10:51

The UK’s ‘addiction’ to unhealthy food costs the UK an estimated £268bn a year, surpassing the NHS’ budget – a new report has found.

New research into the impact of unhealthy food has found that the UK’s reliance on foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, is having a ‘devastating’ impact.

The academic research by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FOC) report found the UK’s estimated spend of £268bn can be explained by three areas: NHS spend (£67.5bn), welfare system (£10.1bn) and social care services (£14.3bn).

The finances go towards treating diet-related diseases. These include type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular problems.

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The report find that the UK spends a further £176bn on treating the loss of inactivity from those who are suffering with diet-induced ailments, which costs around £116.4bn. The UK spends around £60bn on treating pain and early death.

A spokesperson from the FFCC report says: “Far from keeping us well, our current food system, with its undue deference to what is known colloquially as ‘big food’, is making us sick. The costs of trying to manage that sickness are rapidly becoming unpayable.”

The Labour government is being urged to take action to fix the crisis. Some of their targeted plans include reducing smoking and pledging to stop advertising for unhealthy food on TV before 9pm – since children are likely to be watching then.

The government has also pledged to ban the sale of energy drinks, which are often high in sugar, to under-16s.

Professor Tim Jackson, an economist at the University of Surrey, who led the FFCC research, said: “The £268bn cost is staggering. I was shocked by how high it was when I arrived at it.

“£268bn is a very, very conservative estimate of these costs.”

The figure is informed by Jackson’s analysis of a selection of UK publications and projections, thinktanks such as the Tony Blair institute, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation – all of which consider the cost of treating chronic diseases, many of which are linked with a poor diet.

Wes Streeting, health secretary, told The Guardian: “We simply cannot afford not to act whilst the UK is walking into an obesity crisis, costing the economy billions and adding further strain to an already overstretched NHS.“

We’ve already taken strides in our mission to tackle obesity by announcing plans to ban junk food adverts on TV and online and setting out our intention to ensure schools limit access to fast food. On top of this, government is reviewing the [sugar tax] to ensure it remains effective in tackling obesity and other harms caused by a high sugar intake.“

I am committed to shifting from sickness to prevention, and a healthy diet and lifestyle is pivotal to helping achieve that. Building a healthy future for all is good for the NHS and good for the economy, so I’m determined to see it through.”

It’s estimated that UK households would need to allocate around £38 extra per week or around £57bn per year to meet the healthy food guidelines set out by the government’s Eatwell guide, which advises on including more healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and reducing the intake of snacks, crisps, and sauces.

This spend would be in addition to the £101.5bn which UK households already spend to feed their families.

Questions have been raised about how realistic this approach would be, especially for the poorest families.

Sue Pritchard, chief executive from the FFCC, criticised food firms for their focus on a “fast track to big profits,” The Guardian reports.

She added that ministers should focus own providing food vouchers to low-income families and increasing their support to farmers.

Among other findings from the FFCC report include that the ultra-processed food market is forecast to grow by 8.4% over the next decade and the cost of anti-obesity drugs such as Ozempic are “catastrophic” for human health and “disastrous” for the UK’s budget since patients become reliant on the medication to avoid relapse.

A spokesperson from The Food and Drink Federation said: “Obesity is a serious and complex issue affecting the UK.

“Food and drink manufacturers know they have a key role to play in addressing this. However, this isn’t a challenge we can solve alone. So, we are committed to working alongside policymakers and others to help people have healthier diets.

“Companies have already made significant progress in creating healthier options for shoppers, based on government guidelines, and as a result our members’ products now contribute a quarter fewer calories, a quarter less sugar, and a third less salt to the British grocery market than they did in 2015.”