Obesity is already responsible for
2-8%
of health care costs and
10-13%
of deaths in different parts of Europe1
. A study2 has shown that as the
weight of the average American increased by 10lbs, the airline industry has had to burn an additional 350 million gallons of fuel, resulting in an extra
3.8 million
tonnes of CO2
24%
34%
of adults in the UK3
and
of adults in the US are obese4
.
It goes without saying that if you want to live a long, happy and healthy life you need to look after yourself and that doesn’t just mean taking regular exercise, it’s about mental wellbeing and healthy eating as well.
CLEAN AIR
ZONE
Understanding good nutrition and making time for exercise and relaxation are essential life- skills that need to be cultivated to ensure that your body stays fit while your mind has time to unwind. While ‘health and wellness’ have historically fallen outside the scope of traditional sustainability discussions, that has since changed and ‘health and wellness’ are now key ingredients in the sustainability recipe. Our health and wellbeing is dependent on a stable climate, clean air and water and fertile soils, and so the state of the global environment is paramount.
In addition, experts are now seeing a link between unhealthy lifestyles and the size of a person’s carbon footprint. A healthy lifestyle often includes more exercise, and less reliance on carbon intensive transport, as well as a healthier diet with more fruit and vegetables rather than red meat and dairy . By contrast unhealthy diets tend to be higher in fat, sugar, and often contain excessive calories which can contribute to weight problems. This in turn leads to an increased risk of many diseases and health conditions, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and strokes which then put increasing pressure on countries’ health systems5
.
An article in the New Scientist (2007) suggests that a kilogramme of beef is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions and pollution than driving for three hours while leaving all the lights on back home. This is because it takes around 16lbs of grain to produce 1lb of meat, and also due to the greenhouse gas methane released from the animals’ digestive systems.
Source: New Scientist (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19526134.500)
51
Worryingly, some studies have concluded that as western economies become richer, health and happiness ratings decline6
whilst obesity and
incidences of heart disease increase . These changes in human health can then impact on the environment as people become more reliant on energy intensive modes of transport .
On top of this, the World Health Organisation states that at a global level, one in four patients visiting a health service has at least one mental, neurological or behavioural disorder7
while a
mental health charity in the UK suggests that one in three of the British population will suffer from mental health problems, including stress.
So we in the west may be wealthier as a society, but that success is leading to new health trends that need to be tackled if we’re to achieve a truly sustainable future. We believe that the Virgin companies operating in this sector have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to improve health and wellness through the services they offer.
1. UN News Centre. Europe is getting too fat and needs to eat more fruit and vegetables, UN warns. (http://www.un.org/ apps/news/story. p?NewsID=18525&Cr=FAO&Cr1=)
2. Obesity raising airline fuel costs.’ 9/11/04. (www.livescience.com)
3. NHS. (2008) The Information Centre. Statistics on obesity, physical activity and diet: Eng- land, January 2008 (http://www.ic.nhs.uk/default. asp?sID=1)
4. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States. (http://www.cdc.gov/ mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5807.pdf )
5. Robyn Martin (2008) The role of law in the control of obes- ity in England: looking at the contribution of law to a healthy food culture. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2008, 5:21. http://www.anzhealthpolicy.com/ content/5/1/21
6. Kahneman, D, Krueger, A. B., Schkade, D., Schwarz, N., Stone, A. A. Would You Be Happier If You Were Richer? A Focusing Illusion. Science 30 June 2006: Vol. 312. no. 5782, pp. 1908 – 1910
7. World Health Organization (www.who.int/mental_health/ en/)
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