Consequences of dietary
imbalance
Categories
• The effects of diet related diseases can
categorised into two areas;
• Direct coasts can be easily measured eg how much
money something costs.
• Indirect costs are harder to measure but have just as
big an impact, like the quality of an affected persons
life.
Who is affected
• Effects of disease can be divided into two
areas;
• Individual, and
• Community
INDIVIDUAL COSTS
• DIRECT
• Medical care - you will have to pay to get treated in
hospital.
• Pharmaceutical care – Most diet related conditions are
chronic and ongoing, which means the affected person will
have to be on medication for a long period of time, which will
cost money.
• Travel costs – to get to treatment.
• Loss of income – Cannot work while being treated, or
may have to work less hours due to being injured.
• INDIRECT
• Pain and suffering – Diseases don’t generally feel very
nice!
• Reduced work effectiveness - Not being able to do
your job properly, or contribute to your family or community
can make you stressed, depressed feel unworthy and lower
your self image.
• Death.
COMMUNITY COSTS
• DIRECT
• Healthcare – In Australia, the Government often pays for your
treatment when you are sick. A good deal, but annoying for taxpayers
when people are in hospital for expensive treatment for condition that are
avoidable eg kidney dialysis because of excess alcohol consumption.
• Pharmaceuticals - The government helps pay for drugs that we buy
at the chemist.
• Lost Productivity - Someone else has to do your job – less people
contributing to overall economy and more people taking from it.
• Cost of prevention strategies – As disease rates increase,
government is forced to spend money on campaigns and strategies to
reduce the incidence of the disease – that money has to come from
somewhere.
• INDIRECT
• Unpaid Care - family members, friends, community
members take time out of their day to help.
• Loss of productivity - You may not be able to work as
hard or well, which makes workmates have to work harder.
More work and/or stress to replace you or make up while you
are away.
• Loss of individual - if a person dies there are significant
emotional impacts on the people who know them.