How to deal with lifestyle-related diseases? - Interview with Svein Margeirsson, CEO of Matís.
Today, it is estimated that more than 2 billion people in the world have to deal with the consequences of overweight and obesity at the same time as almost one billion people are malnourished. The vast majority of obese people live in the West, where lifestyle-related diseases are now the main threat, while malaria and HIV are the main risk factors in the malnourished regions of the world. The threat of lifestyle diseases is real and has grown significantly in the last decade. Today, it is estimated that 86% deaths in Europe can be attributed to them.[1] But what can you do? Do the pharmaceutical industry need to be strengthened or can other solutions be found?
Sveinn Margeirsson, CEO of Matís, believes that in order to reverse the trend, a change in the public's mindset and a concerted effort in the field of research and innovation in the food and biotechnology industry are needed. He says public health is the challenge of tomorrow, if we are to stop the lifestyle diseases that are a real epidemic in the West. But one of Matís' main roles is precisely to promote better public health.
How can the situation be addressed?
"In the fight against diseases such as scurvy, tuberculosis and measles, education and information played a key role as well as research. The same goes for lifestyle diseases. We should look at education and research, in line with the business world. Research by scientists, in collaboration with pharmaceutical and food companies, can achieve significant results. But for this to be realistic, new ways and priorities need to be sought, and it may well be that greater success for the whole is achieved by researching, developing and educating, in order to prevent lifestyle diseases instead of tackling them in a gigantic way. and an ever-expanding healthcare system. And in fact, all the ministers of education, finance and innovation of the Western world should ask themselves which way is more feasible and more beneficial to society in the long run. "
What has Matís put on the scales?
"We believe that a vibrant economy, in the form of institutions and companies, is a prerequisite for welfare and quality of life. Sustainable use of resources is another prerequisite, and in order to be able to utilize resources in a sustainable way, a great deal of knowledge is needed. Therefore, the "knowledge industry" and the "raw material industry" go hand in hand, but are not opposites as is sometimes suggested.
"That is why we have placed great emphasis on increased connections with educational institutions, and it can be said that Matís has made good progress in the bridge construction that needs to take place between educational institutions, research companies and the business community. Experience shows how much that bridge can contribute to increased value creation. In addition, food production in Iceland largely takes place outside the capital area and since the establishment of Matís, emphasis has been placed on the operation of establishments all over the country to follow the emphasis and opportunities in each area, in collaboration with locals, which has given good in fact. "
How does Matís envisage changing people's consumption patterns?
"We can undoubtedly look to Norway and learn from how they have developed a research and development program that aims to exploit and underpin the strengths of the Norwegians; fisheries, at the same time as looking to the future and focusing directly on how the Norwegian fisheries sector can contribute to solving the challenge of lifestyle diseases. Norwegians value things so that future food consumers will look at their health effects, no less than at getting a full stomach. Fiskeri og Havbruksfonden, which is in fact a huge Norwegian marketing program in the fisheries sector, under the management of the sector in that country, is the driving force behind this effort, in good cooperation with research institutes, universities, the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and the Norwegian Ministry of Health. "
"In this country, there is a considerable need for us to use seafood for consumption, and in order for that to happen, the discourse on the fishing industry in society needs to be changed, which at present is mainly about quotas and fishing license fees, but not the benefits of consuming seafood. Today, young people, aged 17-26, eat an average of 30-40 g of fish a day, which is equivalent to about one bite, which is remarkable in light of what we know a lot about the health of seafood and the impact of lifestyle diseases on the health system. .[2] Increasing the consumption of seafood is, of course, just one example of an action that could contribute to better public health. "
"There are great opportunities in activating the entire value chain of education, research, development and innovation in this field. We must systematically address the major challenges in the field of public health, with research and development in the arsenal. Otherwise, there is a risk that the health care system will not be able to cope with the problem that afflicts society. We should be able to do better than that. "
[1] Hannes Hrafnkelsson: "Chronic lifestyle diseases - the greatest threat to health today", Læknablaðið 5th issue, 99th year 2013.
[2] Gunnþórunn Einarsdóttir, "Attitudes and fish consumption of young people: Improving the image of seafood", Essay for an MA degree from the University of Iceland 2008. See: http://www.avs.is/media/avs/Vidhör_og_fiskneysla.pdf