We live in a time of technological advancement and in most, at least Western countries, we are consuming more food and beverages than ever before. Due to technological progress, for many people it is also a so-called Stress performance society has become a reality. Continuous pressure to perform, intensified by information technology and a flood of information, has led to a lifestyle that not only causes physiological but also enormous mental stress in our society.
Life-style related health risk factors and diseases are showing an increasing and worrying growth trend. The rate of obese adults in Germany, for example, is higher than in almost any other EU country. Well over half of all adult men and women are now overweight, around 19 million (every fourth German) suffer from morbid obesity¹ (obesity 2;4).
Because overweight and obesity are major risk factors for many chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, back joint pain and cancer, an unhealthy lifestyle can have devastating effects on one’s health². Four out of ten deaths in Germany can be traced back to behavioral risk factors, i.e. poor nutrition or physical inactivity. Almost one in five deaths is even linked to an unhealthy diet¹.
On the other hand, a positive trend can be seen in relation to the aging population. From a ‘European perspective’, life expectancy has steadily increased in recent decades. According to the 2018 Aging Report: Policy challenges for aging societies, the average life expectancy in Europe is 81 years³. In 2025 a significant increase up to 85 years is expected. This trend, which is positive from our perspective
follow enormous challenge for the health pension system. The risk of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases increases with age.
If you look at these facts and figures and compare them to the annual exponential growth in sales in the pharmaceutical, dietary supplement and fitness industries, this inevitably leads to the conclusion that previous approaches are unfortunately not effective enough or only partially effective and sustainable . According to the OECD and the EU, a fundamental change is needed, from a system that treats diseases to a system that promotes health more and focuses on the prevention of risks and diseases.
Quellen:
1. OECD/European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (2019): Deutschland.
Länderprofil Gesundheit 2019. State of Health in the EU.
Online unter
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/4ecf193f-de.pdf?expires=1576682113&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=6AE4E1290A2B0FDDD6BF4DB4391AC6AE
2. Robert-Koch-Institut (2019): Übergewicht und Adipositas.
Online unter
https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Gesundheitsmonitoring/Themen/Uebergewicht_Adipositas/Uebergewicht_Adipositas_node.html
3. 2018 Ageing Report: Policy challenges for ageing societies | European Commission
(europa.eu)
OECD iLibrary | Deutschland: Länderprofil Gesundheit 2019
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org
OECD iLibrary | Deutschland: Länderprofil Gesundheit 2019
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org
RKI – Themenschwerpunkt Übergewicht und Adipositas
https://www.rki.de
