Reducing the prices of fruits and vegetables could prevent thousands of deaths from cardiovascular diseases, forcing people to switch from fast food to healthy and natural foods.
US scientists estimated that measures such as subsidizing agricultural producers and excise duties on sweet water, only in the US would help save more than 500,000 lives in the next 20 years.
The whole secret in the accessibility of plant foods.
The results of the study and the authors' proposals were presented to the medical community during the scientific meeting of the American Heart Association (ANA), which was held this week in Phoenix.
"Habits, lifestyle and nutrition of people are influenced by the economy. So, excises, which caused a rise in price of tobacco products, led to a significant drop in demand for cigarettes. This is a good example of how you can influence the health of the population through economic leverage, "commented the president of the ANA, Mark Creager,.
In the course of his recent work, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and colleagues at Tufts University in Boston analyzed national statistics of heart attacks and strokes, trying to find a link to prices and levels of consumption of plant foods in the United States.
"An extensive survey of statistical data tells us that the prices of vegetable food greatly affect the culinary preferences of the population. The beauty and strength of economic levers lies in the fact that with their help, the habits and health of our society can be radically changed, "said Dr. Mozaffarian, speaking to colleagues.
For a prosperous and prosperous American society, a 30% reduction in the prices of vegetables and fruits could reduce the number of victims of heart attack and stroke by 15% within 15 years, which corresponds to 200 thousand saved lives. But even more modest measures would have an effect.
If the prices of fruits, vegetables and cereals were down by 10%, and sweet water would rise in price as much, then in 20 years in America it would be possible to avoid 515 000 deaths from heart attack and stroke.
And now let us remember the situation in our native country.
Instead of an affordable and wide range of vegetables, we see an abundance of cheap, convenient and harmful fast food, with which healthy food is not able to compete on equal terms.
Have a bite of shaurma, cheburek or hamburger - please, on any corner.
And to eat inexpensive, tasty and useful salad - still it is necessary to look.
It turns out that this situation worries not only us.
"We need to stop making healthy food and raise federal excise taxes on sweet drinks. One hand subsidize the producers of fruits and vegetables, and the other - to take money from the producers of harmful products. This combination would be ideal for the treasury, and for the health of the population, "the American scientists.
medbe. en.