According to two recent studies, eating more nutritious foods and spending more time in nature could transform mental and physical health—making us happier and healthier and saving healthcare systems a lot of money.

One recent analysis from the UK’s Food, Farming & Countryside Commission suggested that the country’s “unhealthy food system” is having a “devastating” impact on health and finances, costing collectively around £269 billion per year. According to the study, this figure covers the healthcare costs, social care costs, and welfare system costs that are involved with dealing with diet-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and kidney problems. 

More support is needed for people to make healthier food choices

Research suggests that more than half of the calories in Britons’ diets come from ultra-processed foods, which are often (but not always) high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat. High intake of all of these ingredients is associated with a higher risk of chronic disease. For example, eating too much saturated fat can increase levels of LDL cholesterol in the body, which, in turn, increases the risk of heart disease.

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But the report is not pointing the finger at individuals. Instead, it is calling for more government action. Right now, the cost of eating healthier, plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, and more fiber-rich ingredients would cause poorer British households to double their food spend, notes the study. Some researchers are calling for the government to offer the public more support to buy more fruits and vegetables, perhaps through a voucher scheme.

“This £268 billion cost shows us that we have a food system that privatizes the profits and socializes the harms from bad food,” Dolly van Tulleken, PhD, told The Guardian. “It puts a price on the failure of the government stretching back over 30 years to regulate big food.”

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The UK’s current Health Secretary, Wes Streeting has stressed on multiple occasions that he would like to move the country toward a prevention-focused healthcare model. “A healthy diet and lifestyle is pivotal to achieving that,” he said in a statement. 

The UK also recently announced plans to ban junk food advertising in a bid to help protect the “broken NHS” and help support children to develop healthier habits at a young age.

“Building a healthy future for all is good for the NHS and good for the economy, so I’m determined to see it through.” — UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting

More time outside can significantly benefit mental health 

In Canada, another study has looked at how lifestyle changes can help to support people and potentially prevent serious conditions. Rather than food, its focus was nature, and encouraging individuals—again, particularly children—to spend more time outdoors for the good of their mental health.

Researchers examined the behavior of 500 children in Quebec for three months and found that children were far more attentive and calm after they had spent time in nature. The biggest difference was observed in children who were already experiencing significant mental health problems, with symptoms like anxiety or aggressivity. 

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“This suggests that nature-based programs may offer targeted benefits for children with higher levels of mental health vulnerabilities and potentially act as an equalizer of mental health among school-age children,” researcher Sylvana Côté said in a statement.

The study contributes to a growing body of research that links time in natural spaces with better health. In 2019, another study published in the journal Nature suggested that spending two hours in nature a week could benefit overall health and well-being significantly. Not just for children, but for everyone, regardless of age. 

“Most people are under multiple pressures at any given time. So you go away in a natural setting, it is quiet, it is relaxing and it gives you time to start to process things,” Mathew White, PhD, told The Guardian.

“What really amazed us was this was true for just about every group we could think of,” he continued. White added that the more beautiful and biodiverse the setting is, the better the impact. “We have tracked 4,500 people’s visits from the same survey and what you find is they get more stress reduction if the location was an area of outstanding natural beauty, a site of special scientific interest, or that kind of thing,” he explained.