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| Overview » cost to society of malnutrition |
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Malnutrition not only poses a burden on those affected and their families, but it also results in costs for the healthcare systems. According to BAPEN, malnutrition costs the UK more than £7.3 billion of actual expenditure each year - double the projected £3.5 billion cost of obesity.
Individuals suffering from malnutrition are more likely to visit their GP. Their higher vulnerability to different conditions increases their need for health and social care, as well as hospital care. The burden on carers can be significant. This translates into huge costs for the health care system.
Malnutrition is a heavy burden for society as it leads to increased mortality, longer hospital stays, increased complications and a decreased quality of life for patients
Effective prevention and nutritional support exist. Nutritional support may include nutritional advice and counselling, oral dietary supplementation, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition. Early detection and prompt treatment are essential as malnutrition is mainly reversible. Treatment can also be extremely effective in reducing mortality and clinical complication rates.
The barriers to access to preventing malnutrition and caring for patients are significant, and occur at a number of levels:
- general awareness of the issue of malnutrition is poor
- the issue has not yet made it onto the political agenda
- professional training is poor
- malnutrition is under-recognised and under-treated
- treatment guidelines exist, but they are rarely applied in practice
- nutrition therapy has no 'place' within health and social care budgets.
Malnutrition is highly prevalent and leads to poor clinical outcomes. Solutions are available and effective nutritional support improves clinical outcomes and is cost-effective. The time to act is now.
Source: European Nutrition for Health Alliance
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