Obesity costing Irish economy 1.64bn euro each year
POSTED 21 Dec 2012 . BY Jessica Tasman-Jones
Economic costs from obesity include healthcare costs and reduced productivity
Overweight and obese populations in Ireland and Northern Island cost the island 1.64bn euro (US$2.16bn, £1.34bn) annually, according to new research.
A survey by University of Cork research, funded by Safefood, reveal 398m euro (US$523.99m, £324.40m) goes towards healthcare costs each year with the remaining two thirds of economic costs in reduced productivity.
Eighteen weight-related diseases were studied and the main drivers of healthcare costs were cardiac disease (44 per cent), type 2 diabetes (nine per cent), colorectal cancer (12 per cent) and other cancers.
Lower back pain was a major driver for work absenteeism.
Director of human health and nutrition at Safefood, Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, said the findings were important for establishing priorities in health policy.
“Excess body weight is associated with a significant burden of chronic disease, with negative effects on overall life expectancy, disability free life expectancy, quality of life, health care costs and productivity.”
According to a 2011 survey, 37 per cent of the island’s population were overweight and 24 per cent were obese and in the past 20 years men have gained an average 8kg and women an average 5kg.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Places Leisure has exchanged contracts to build and operate a flagship £60m water and leisure
destination on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The Republic of Ireland will become the latest market in PureGym’s expanding international
portfolio, with the first launch planned for Dublin in 2027.
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an
on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right
client in under 10 seconds. [more...]
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing
disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support
its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy. [more...]
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Obesity costing Irish economy 1.64bn euro each year
POSTED 21 Dec 2012 . BY Jessica Tasman-Jones
Economic costs from obesity include healthcare costs and reduced productivity
Overweight and obese populations in Ireland and Northern Island cost the island 1.64bn euro (US$2.16bn, £1.34bn) annually, according to new research.
A survey by University of Cork research, funded by Safefood, reveal 398m euro (US$523.99m, £324.40m) goes towards healthcare costs each year with the remaining two thirds of economic costs in reduced productivity.
Eighteen weight-related diseases were studied and the main drivers of healthcare costs were cardiac disease (44 per cent), type 2 diabetes (nine per cent), colorectal cancer (12 per cent) and other cancers.
Lower back pain was a major driver for work absenteeism.
Director of human health and nutrition at Safefood, Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, said the findings were important for establishing priorities in health policy.
“Excess body weight is associated with a significant burden of chronic disease, with negative effects on overall life expectancy, disability free life expectancy, quality of life, health care costs and productivity.”
According to a 2011 survey, 37 per cent of the island’s population were overweight and 24 per cent were obese and in the past 20 years men have gained an average 8kg and women an average 5kg.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Places Leisure has exchanged contracts to build and operate a flagship £60m water and leisure
destination on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The Republic of Ireland will become the latest market in PureGym’s expanding international
portfolio, with the first launch planned for Dublin in 2027.
Anytime Fitness opened more than one club a day in 2025 and is on track to maintain this rate
of growth this year, as parent company Purpose Brands targets further international expansion.
The £33.9 million Leighton Leisure and Community Centre has opened in Leighton Buzzard, UK,
creating a next-generation public leisure, health and wellbeing hub for the local community.
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an
on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right
client in under 10 seconds. [more...]
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing
disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support
its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Serco Leisure Serco Leisure Operating Limited is one of the UK’s leading national operators of leisure centres, de [more...]
