Unhealthy eating habits weigh heavily on costs

NEW YORK —While much of the debate over healthcare reform has focused on its costs to American consumers, often lost amid the din is the extent to which costs would decrease if not for the prevalence of preventable diseases related to Americans’ unhealthy eating habits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 30% of Americans are now obese. Of the 50 states, only Colorado has an obesity rate of less than 20%. By contrast, in 1996, every state had a rate of less than 20%.

According to some estimates, obesity costs the U.S. healthcare system $263 billion a year, much of it from comorbidities of obesity, such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke and others. The dramatic rise is due to an American diet high in saturated fat and sodium, but relatively low in fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy.

Some supermarkets have responded with their own efforts to encourage healthy eating. “They are educating shoppers by providing tools and information online and in the store to help customers make healthy choices,” Food Marketing Institute VP pharmacy services Cathy Polley told Drug Store News.

These include such easy-to-read food labeling systems as color-coded Nutrition iQ, which Minneapolis-based supermarket operator Supervalu introduced in its stores; the numerical NuVal system, used by Price Chopper and Hy-Vee; and a series of symbols, such as checks and hearts, used by Spartan Stores.

Stores also have employed dietitians, and even pharmacists, to guide patients to healthier eating choices. Pharmacists at Supervalu, for example, offer courses to diabetes patients to give them ideas of what foods to eat and what foods to avoid.

“Pharmacists practicing in the supermarket setting have a unique opportunity to help patients blend their food, nutrition and medication needs,” Polley said. “Many health-and-wellness initiatives that many supermarkets are undertaking are anchored in the pharmacy. This allows the supermarket pharmacist to help patients make wise choices in every aisle of the store.”