UK doctors are warning that the country is facing a “ticking timebomb” of ill health that is damaging to the economy, as they urged the government to rethink its approach.
Good population health was “essential” for sustainable economic growth, the British Medical Association says in a report.
“A major barrier to improving population health is the perception that economic growth will automatically lead to better health,” it said.
“We challenge this perception in our report as it ignores the complex relationship between economic growth and health.
“Economic growth in itself is not sufficient to improve health and poor population health will ultimately have an inevitable adverse impact on the economy.”
The association said many components of economic growth as measured by gross domestic product were “damaging to population health, nor does population health improve if governments do not distribute the benefits of economic growth to improve health and reduce inequalities”.
The report warned that the health of the UK population is declining and health inequalities are widening.
“Since 2014, life expectancy has more or less flat-lined at around 79.2 years for men and 82.9 for women,” it said.
“In 2020, the impact of Covid-19 led to a further decline in life expectancy, a sharp reversal of previous trends.
“There are also large differences in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas of the country, which are well-documented.”
Wellcome Photography Prize: Health in a Heating World - in pictures
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Winner of the Health in a Heating World category is 'Climate Cost' by Zakir Hossain Chowdhury. Three months after Cyclone Amphan hit Bangladesh, a man salvages anything still useful from the wreckage of his house. -
Shortlisted for the Health in a Heating World category is 'Eliminating Fossil Fuels in Germany' by Krisztian Bocsi. The Janschwalde lignite power plant in Peitz, Germany. Lignite, also known as brown coal, is one of the most carbon-intensive sources of power. -
Water Scarcity' by Sujan Sarkar was another shortlisted image, in which a nine-year-old girl carries saltwater for her family to use around the house. Since 2009, when Cyclone Aila struck Mousuni Island, off the Indian coast south of Kolkata, the community has struggled. -
Michael Snyder's 'The Family at the End of the World' was shortlisted in the same category. Here, on the edge of the northernmost town in the world, a little girl plays on a trampoline. Saga Bernlow and her family live on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean, where temperatures are rising fast. -
In 'Tears of Drought' by Sharwar Apo, parents take their child to hospital in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, a 16 to 24-kilometre journey across this drought-parched land, the mother holding a saline drip all the way.
Poor population health is not just bad for individual people, it also affect national productivity, the report said.
It said it was “crucial that government underpins all policies with an understanding that the wider determinants of health — namely the conditions in which people are born, grow, go to school, live, work and age — have a greater impact on health than the receipt of healthcare services".
“For a long time it has been GDP that has been the be-all and end-all when it comes to measuring the success of a nation," said former BMA president Prof Neena Modi, whose project on human health and well-being is the basis of the report.
“However, the alarming increase in the population prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, and the experience of the pandemic illustrating the ongoing threat from infectious diseases, shows clearly that the economy depends on a healthy population.
“GDP is a simplistic number that measures activities and products, including those that actively damage health, and is wholly inadequate as a measure upon which to base policy and judge prosperity and success.
Eat your way to good health - in pictures
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Avocados: These are high in fat with 60 per cent of this being monounsaturated fats. With a proven ability to lower cholesterol and quell hunger pangs, the avocado is arguably one of only a few perfect foods to lose weight. -
Chia seeds: These seeds are full of omega-3, which is essential for allowing movement of all things, including fat, from one cell to the next. In this way omega-3 is crucial for allowing you to burn fat that is already stored in your body. Chia is also fibre-rich, supporting optimal elimination, another key ingredient for weight loss. iStockphoto.com -
Raw cacao: One of the best weight-loss foods in the world, raw cacao is one of the richest sources of magnesium, a vital mineral for optimal functioning of numerous systems within your body, including endocrine, nervous and digestive. It also balances blood sugar, provides energy and gives your mood a boost while helping to suppress excessive appetite. iStockphoto.com -
Seaweed: Seaweed is packed with minerals and extremely detoxifying, but the main ingredient here that is essential for lightness is iodine. Iodine is required by your thyroid to function properly; without iodine your thyroid becomes underactive and your metabolism suffers. Seaweeds are abundant in this mineral, especially kelp, nori and wakame, not forgetting the algaes too, such as chlorella and pirulina, which are powerful for overall health and weight loss. Courtesy iStockphoto.com -
Coconut: For weight-loss, try cold-pressed coconut oil. Taking a tablespoon a day has been shown to boost the function of the liver, which speeds up fat metabolism while increasing thyroid function. iStockphoto.com -
Kale: Kale is packed with nutrients that help to balance blood sugar and provide vital mineral and phytonutrient support that actively creates lightness in your body through cleansing and detoxification. iStockphoto.com -
Almonds: These nuts have been clinically proven to aid weight loss among those who snack on a handful a day. The protein helps keep you feeling satisfied, meaning you crave less food, while the mineral and essential fatty acid content boosts metabolism and aids digestion of fat. iStockphoto.com
“Government policy at present does not appear to recognise the absolutely fundamental necessity of protecting and improving population health.
“The recent mini-budget with its dash for GDP growth at all costs is a prime example of this mindset.
“Public health budgets have already been depleted over the last decade. Further spending cuts to pay for inequality-fuelling tax cuts will deplete them further.
“With public health spending declining and inequality rising, the price will be paid by a less healthy population that will be less economically productive.”
