Poor diets cause 1.1 crore annual deaths globally

Poor diets contribute to over 1.1 crore (11 million) deaths annually around the world and it has now become the number one global risk factor for death, a Consumers International (CI) report stated.

The CI report, launched on the eve of the World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) 2015, added that unhealthy diets are linked to four of the world's top 10 leading risk factors for death.

The four risk factors are: high blood pressure, high blood glucose, overweight and obesity, and high cholesterol.

"Consumers Rights to Healthy Food" is the theme for this year's World Consumers Rights Day, which will be observed today across the globe, including Bangladesh.

According to the report, premature illness and disability from diet-related diseases impoverishes families, hurts productivity and bankrupts health systems. The global economic impact of obesity alone is roughly $2.0 trillion, or 2.8 percent of global GDP, roughly equivalent to the global impact of smoking or armed violence, war, and terrorism.

Inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and some cancers and cause some 1.7 million deaths a year, the report said.

Dietary salt intake is an important determinant of blood pressure level and of overall cardiovascular risk. High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for deaths around the world. High consumption of saturated fat and trans-fats is linked to heart diseases, the primary reason causing death globally.

Apart from rich countries, diet related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes are rising faster in developing economies and have killed over eight million people before they turned 60 in low and middle-income countries in 2013.

"We need a global transformation in food habit. All consumers should have the right, not only to food but also to healthy food", the CI report said.

It recommended promoting fruit and vegetable intake and formulating trade and agricultural policies which will make fruits and vegetables affordable.

It suggested using cooking methods like baking, grilling, broiling, boiling, steaming and frying with little oil to minimise the use of fat and salt.

Breastfeeding and good weaning practice also have been advised for ensuring healthy diets.

The report highly recommended institutional changes towards healthier oil and fat (moving from saturated and trans-fats to unsaturated oil/fats) and reduction of salt content in food.

Campaigns should be launched and relevant changes should be brought in policies to limit marketing and sale of foods high in saturated and trans-fats, salt and sugar and sugary beverages, particularly to children.

The CI has called upon its members to participate in the campaign to highlight the difficulties faced by consumers in choosing healthy diets.