According to the Diabetes Foundation (Diabetes Fonds), almost 1.1 million people in the Netherlands suffer from type 2 diabetes and the resulting employment problems cost the economy more than 1 billion euros a year in lost production. The calculation was carried out by the SEO consultancy firm Economisch Onderzoek and, according to its researchers, good prevention would make it possible to limit these costs because the illness forces one to work less and for a lower salary or completely prevents one from remaining in the job market. The billion dollar figure only takes into account the decrease in productivity reflected in the gross wage. It does not evaluate additional costs such as healthcare costs and loss of quality of life.
In diabetes, the body has difficulty keeping blood sugar levels balanced. Type 1 is the most common variant, it can appear in childhood and does not produce insulin. With type 2, either too little is produced or the body cannot use it effectively and blood sugar levels are too high. It usually appears at an older age and is usually related to lifestyle, although heredity can also play a role. Since the latter can cause fatigue and loss of concentration, and sometimes damages the heart, kidneys and eyes, the same consultant indicates that work performance is affected. Specifically, their study warns that when medications are required, “the likelihood of having paid work decreases by 2.4 percentage points.” It highlights that the gross monthly salary of people in this phase of the disease “reduces on average by 3.6%” and indicates that the probability of finding a job “decreases by 4.8 percentage points”. All this, in large part, because we work fewer hours.
The work of SEO Economisch Onderzoek was commissioned by the Amsterdam Research Center for Health Economics, a healthcare research platform. This report in turn explains that preventing the development of type 2 diabetes in the age group between 18 and 67 and preventing them from needing drugs can bring more benefits than costs to the labor market. In fact, it proposes an increase in taxes on sugary drinks, early reimbursement of the price of slimming drugs for people suffering from obesity, overweight or prediabetes to reduce subsequent complications and the activation of a screening program to detect the disease early. Wouter Vermeulen, the lead researcher, writes to his colleagues that he has seen that people with diabetes “often end up receiving social benefits” because of their difficulties. In 78% of cases it is a benefit for incapacity for work or illness.
Diet and lifestyle
Diet and lifestyle play an important role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and in 2024 a study commissioned by the Ministry of Health and presented to Congress revealed that the majority of offers in Dutch supermarkets encourage the choice of unhealthy foods. In that case, the researchers came from Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Free University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University, and found that sweets, biscuits, alcohol, soft drinks, meat and poultry were the most offered products: 36% of the total assortment. Fruit, vegetables, legumes, eggs and fish represented 13% of the total offer. To arrive at these percentages they analyzed supermarket brochures but also the products that appear on shelves and displays. They also noticed promotions on Instagram and advertisements at bus stops.
Also in 2024, the Central Statistics Office indicated that half of the population over the age of 18 is overweight and is six times more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes. According to the Diabetes Foundation, 1 in 8 children is obese, which is why the government has been asked to take measures to be able to choose healthier foods in the supermarket.
You can consult other letters in this section Here.
