OBESITY could cost the Island’s health services £57 million next year, according to a government-commissioned report that examines how Jersey sources and distributes its food.
The impact of diet-related ill health was one of several issues highlighted within the recently-published Building Food System Resilience report, which was produced by Hypha Consulting at a cost of £25,000.
Among the stark figures referenced within the document was the estimated £42 million it costs the Island to support obese and overweight Islanders every year.
“If current trends persist, this cost is expected to rise to £57m per year by 2025,” it added.
The report’s publication comes days after Health Minister Tom Binet told States Members that “every effort” was being made to deal with overspends in his department, which are projected to be £28m in 2024.
Addressing the Assembly during last week’s sitting, he warned that the cost pressures in health would require “very difficult decisions” to be made around service levels.
Hypha Consulting’s report also noted that more than 4,000 people in Jersey already have type 2 diabetes, with one more Islander becoming diabetic every day.
“Public Health recognises that high-quality, seasonal, local food can contribute to health outcomes and therefore found that barriers to local food production are barriers to good health,” it stated.
“Increased awareness and understanding of nutrition, cooking skills, and food systems are needed to enable informed food choices and healthy eating habits at every age.”
It also stressed the importance of having “good-quality staple foods at affordable prices”, but noted Jersey’s reliance on imports, particularly from the UK – which it warned left the Island “susceptible” to changes in the country’s food-inflation rates.
It described Jersey as being reliant on a few suppliers, “with no redundancy or ability to adapt”.
A need for investment in local food processing and storage facilities was included within the report’s recommendations.
“Processing facilities add value to raw agricultural products, and storage facilities can minimise food waste by preserving perishable products for longer periods,” it stated.
