FOOD - PHARMA INDUSTRY’S GREATEST FOE
Medicine! Ah, the magical pill for all diseases. Whether in a white mass of powder, yellow or green capsules, an unpleasant syrup, or a piercing needle, it always aims to provide a person with a complete or partial cure for any disease or disorder. However, we have always heard ‘prevention is better than cure’, and what better prevention than that which is the most essential aspect of health: “FOOD”.
Food and diet have recently gained great attention for their influence on disease risk, and effect on genetics, and also, it's over or underuse is the main cause of almost all food-related non-communicable and communicable diseases. In light of the modern lifestyle, the idea of food has been transformed, in addition to its nourishing effect, sensory properties, and cultural influence, its importance in maintaining psycho-physical well-being has gained recognition. This article will discuss how the adoption of a healthy diet can prevent the pharmaceutical industry from exploiting us.
Food And Disease Risk :
The food we eat is the main
source of materials and information required by our body for its optimal
functioning. If we provide our bodies with inadequate information and
materials, it can drastically affect our metabolic processes and can lead to
various health abnormalities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the double burden of malnutrition as the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight/obesity or diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The existence of this shows how many of the diseases encountered by us are food related.
According to WHO, as of today, nearly one in three people are affected by at least one form of malnutrition, including wasting, stunting, nutrient deficiencies, obesity, and diet-related non-communicable diseases. Globally, approximately 462 million adults were underweight, while 1.9 billion people were overweight or obese in 2014. The number of overweight or obese children under 5 years old was estimated at 41 million in 2016, while the number of children who were chronically undernourished was estimated at 155 million. Undernutrition contributes to approximately 45% of deaths in children under the age of 5 in low- and middle-income countries, while childhood overweight and obesity are on the rise in low- and middle-income countries.
The spectrum of diseases ranges from those related to undernutrition impacting growth development and immunity thus causing complications such as kwashiorkor, marasmus, vision problems, soft bones, etc. And those related to overnutrition such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart complications contribute to the world's most widespread disorders and diseases.
A study conducted by a research team led by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University showed that nearly half of all deaths caused by cardiometabolic diseases in the United States in 2012 were caused by sub-optimal eating habits. In a study of 702,308 adults who died of heart disease, strokes, and type 2 diabetes, 318,656 (45% of those deaths) were linked to inadequate intake of certain foods and nutrients widely regarded as essential to healthy living, and excessive intake of foods that are not.
Deaths related to
cardiometabolic disease (9.5%) were most often associated with excessive sodium
consumption. The incidence of death among those who don't consume enough nuts
and seeds (8.5%), seafood omega-3 fats (7.8%), vegetables (7.6%), fruits
(7.5%), whole grains (5.9%), or polyunsaturated fats (2.3%) is also higher than
among those who do consume these foods/nutrients in an optimal amount. The risk
of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes-related death was also increased
when people consumed too much-processed meat (8.2%), sugar-sweetened beverages
(7.4%), and non-processed red meat (0.4%).
These diseases and disorders, though stemming from faulty nutritional habits, lead to an unavoidable dependence on medication for either their cure or management.
Drug companies have gone through decades of marketing spin, drug scandals, and manipulation of research, However, the world has gotten increasingly cynical about Big Pharma. And so now the industry is aiming at the trends of the developed world. The fast-paced world gives people little to no time to focus on proper nutrition and lifestyle, leading to an increased incidence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, many of which are food related. Non-communicable diseases are the new commodity to exploit. People, now more than ever, are willing to spend money on medication due to increasing wealth and lack of time.
However, people seldom realize how they are exploited by Pharma companies in the name of curing and managing chronic food and lifestyle-related diseases and disorders.
The worldwide market for hypertension medications is estimated to bring in revenues of USD 40 billion by the end of 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 4% between 2023 and 2035. Additionally, the industry generated USD 20 billion in revenue in 2022.
The Global Diabetes Drugs Market size was valued at US$ 48,753.1 Mn in 2018, is projected to reach US$ 78,261.7 Mn by the end of 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.1%.
The growing prevalence of a
sedentary lifestyle, increase in the consumption of unhealthy food, and
subsequent rise in obesity and chronic stress are leading factors of the rise
in these disorders and thus inflating the industry’s revenue.
As these require lifelong
prescriptions, chronic diseases are a profit goldmine for drug companies.
Foodborne illnesses provide another source of continual profit.
Steps In The Right Direction :
The very first step would be to realize that these diseases can easily be avoided or at least reduce the risk of developing them and how important a healthy diet and lifestyle is in preventing and managing these diseases. Most NCDs are caused due to several factors, including genetic, physiological, behavioral, and environmental. Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and alcohol abuse are the primary risk factors for NCDs. Therefore, since most of these diseases ultimately progress in childhood due to lifestyle factors, they are preventable.
Realizing how much money is spent in vain due to improper marketing, and commercialization of hospitals, pharmacies, and health-related industries.
Spreading awareness among people about the healthy diet and lifestyle which can be adopted in order to prevent, lower the risk, or effectively manage these diseases and eventually reduce the use or completely get rid of medications.
Thus, it is essential to realize that, although medicine is unavoidable in many circumstances and diet cannot replace medicine, a healthy diet can very well prevent several diseases from developing, reduce the risk of diseases that are genetically dominated and play a vital role in the management of these diseases alongside medications. Thus eventually leading to decreased requirements of allopathic medication, protecting us from the side effects and also saving a fortune.
BY:
SYEDA BATOOL FATIMA
120420464015
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