The economic burden of inadequate consumption of vegetables and fruit in Canada.
Public health decision makers not only consider health benefits but also economic implications when articulating and issuing lifestyle recommendations. Whereas various estimates exist for the economic burden of physical inactivity, excess body weight and smoking, estimates of the economic burden associated with our diet are rare. In the present study, we estimated the economic burden attributable to the inadequate consumption of vegetables and fruit in Canada.



We accessed the Canadian Community Health Survey to assess the inadequacy in the consumption of vegetables and fruit and published meta-analyses to assemble risk estimates for chronic diseases. Based on these inadequacy and risk estimates, we calculated the population-attributable fraction and avoidable direct and indirect costs to society. Direct costs include those for hospital care, physician services and drugs in 2015.



About 80 % of women and 89 % of men consume inadequate amounts of vegetables and fruit. We estimated this to result in an economic burden of $CAN 3·3 billion per year, of which 30·5 % is direct health-care costs and 69·5 % is indirect costs due to productivity losses. A modest 1 percentage point annual reduction in the prevalence of inadequate vegetables and fruit consumption over the next 20 years would avoid approximately $CAN 10·8 billion, and an increase of one serving of vegetables and fruit per day would avoid approximately $CAN 9·2 billion.



Further investments in the promotion of vegetables and fruit will prevent chronic disease and substantially reduce direct and indirect health-care costs.
1School of Public Health,University of Alberta,3-50 University Terrace,8303 - 112 Street,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada,T6G 2T4.
John Paul
JP
Ekwaru
1School of Public Health,University of Alberta,3-50 University Terrace,8303 - 112 Street,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada,T6G 2T4.
Arto
A
Ohinmaa
1School of Public Health,University of Alberta,3-50 University Terrace,8303 - 112 Street,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada,T6G 2T4.
Sarah
S
Loehr
1School of Public Health,University of Alberta,3-50 University Terrace,8303 - 112 Street,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada,T6G 2T4.
Solmaz
S
Setayeshgar
2Institute of Health Economics,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada.
Nguyen Xuan
NX
Thanh
1School of Public Health,University of Alberta,3-50 University Terrace,8303 - 112 Street,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada,T6G 2T4.
Paul J
PJ
Veugelers
D002170:Canada; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics*; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005638:Fruit / Q000191:economics*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics; D014675:Vegetables / Q000191:economics*
Economic burden of disease; Health-care costs; Nutrition; Public health; Vegetables and fruit