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Speaking to Smokers and Junk Food Eaters About the NHS' £11 Billion 'Unhealthy Lifestyle' Bill

Last year the NHS spent £11 billion on illnesses caused by "lifestyle choices". We found some people living those lifestyles to ask them if they feel bad about it.

Some snacks and some fags, both of which are bad for you (Photo: Bruno Bayley)

Yesterday was my birthday, so to celebrate I put loads of stuff in my body that's now making me feel unwell. To really aid my hangover, I woke up to find out that I'm one of the people you can blame for the NHS having to spend a huge amount of money when it comes to treating illnesses caused by "lifestyle choices".

Yesterday, Public Health England revealed that £11 billion of NHS funds are spent every year on treating ailments caused by stuff like smoking, drinking, eating shitty food and standing on the escalator instead of walking, even when it's one of the super short ones.

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So today I went out to find people doing those things, to ask them if they feel bad about it.

Nicky, eating a Dairy Milk

VICE: Hi Nicky. I see you're eating a delicious chocolate bar. Did you know that £11 billion of NHS money is spent each year treating illnesses caused by lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking and eating junk food?
Nicky: That's a lot of money. I think people could easily make a few changes, because Britain is next to America on the obesity list. I'm from the Netherlands, and we have totally different healthcare – you have to pay each month and choose your own package, like insurance.

Would you feel bad if you developed an illness related to eating chocolate bars, and then the NHS paid for it rather than you via your own insurance?
Yeah, sure. Everyone eats out and has fast food once in a while, but if you did it every day on a regular basis, and didn't take care of your body, that's a problem.

So is it an individual's fault, or a wider problem to do with bad education and excessive marketing of fast food to children?
I think it works both ways, but it doesn't really bother me about commercials – it's more up to how you raise your kids. But it should be made easier and more affordable to simulate a healthy lifestyle, especially in London where you have long days and you're working hard. So once you're off, you're just like, 'Oh yeah, I need a fast meal.' Even inside the grocery store, the healthy stuff is more expensive.

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Is that why you're eating chocolate?
[Laughs] I'm working and doing physical stuff today, so this is just a little treat for me. It's small!

Thanks, Nicky.

John, smoking a cigarette

The NHS spends £11 billion a year on illnesses caused by lifestyle choices, like smoking and drinking. How do you feel about that?
John: Considering lifestyle choices probably do put a lot of people in hospital, that doesn't surprise me. To some extent it's a great part of what the NHS does.

How do you feel as a smoker? Do you feel bad that the NHS has to cover the costs of care people need because of smoking?
I think my contribution to it would cover the costs of that. Of course I feel bad about it, and as a smoker it is something I'd prefer not to do.

Do you ever resent other people for drinking and eating an unhealthy amount?
I resent them taking up too much space on the train. No, people are free to make choices like that, and when you have a provision like the NHS, you can't penalise people for the state that they find themselves in because of the choices they made. The NHS provides free healthcare for people in whatever state they find themselves in, and that should be applauded.

Thanks, John.

Elliot, got a big packet of crisps

How do you feel about the money the NHS spends on illnesses caused by people's lifestyles?
Elliot: Well, obviously it is avoidable, if it's something that is happening, then money needs to go to it. You can't avoid it.

Do you feel bad that maybe your lifestyle might eventually contribute to that?
I mean, I drink, but I don't think I'd ever get myself into the kind of state where I would need medical care.

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How about junk food?
I don't eat too badly. Sometimes I do, but I try to be as healthy as possible and eat fruit and vegetables and stuff like that.

So do you feel annoyed about paying for people's healthcare who do eat really badly?
Obviously a little bit of that is annoying, but at the end of the day everyone is paying towards the same things. Moaning doesn't achieve anything.

Shabul, about to get the bus

How do you feel that the NHS spends £11 billion a year on illnesses caused by people's lifestyles, like eating too much, smoking, not exercising?
Shabul: I think that's true. I mean, I'm a smoker, and sometimes you think when you're under a lot of stress that smoking is the answer. But in reality it's not.

Do you feel bad that you smoke and you might be costing the NHS money in the future?
Yeah, of course – it's a bad habit and I know I should probably quit. But it's not easy.

How about like eating junk food?
I do quite a lot of that. I did try to eat healthy, but the kebab keeps on calling out. There's a lot of fast food around and there's not that many healthy options – I'm based at Bow Church and there's a lot of KFCs around.

I feel you. Thanks.

Sam, eating some Pringles

What do you think about the NHS spending £11 billion a year on illnesses caused by lifestyle choices?
Sam: I think that's a very big number. I suppose it's an accurate reflection of how people are living. I'm not particularly happy with it.

I don't know if you drink or smoke or whatever, but you are eating a Mars bar – do you feel bad that you might be eventually contributing to the problem?
It's all well and good to try to eat healthily, but not everybody can. In London, you can't walk 15 minutes without [finding] fast food, so anyone who has an issue with food will find it quite hard not to eat them sort of things and get on the right track.

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So it's not people's own faults for being addicted to things like smoking?
To a certain degree it is everyone's personal fault, but at the same time I don't think enough is being done to prevent people from actually doing the bad things that are going to impact their health. I don't think big companies care about people, they just want money.

Mike, smoking a cigarette

What do you think about the fact that the NHS spends £11 billion a year on illnesses caused by people's lifestyle choices, like smoking?
Mike: I think it's a hard topic. Obviously I'm a smoker, but with the stresses of living somewhere like London, once you've got used to the release of drinking or eating or smoking, it's hard to find that replacement somewhere else – to get that same feeling. Just simple things like the stress of travel and getting home to have that cigarette.

Do you feel bad that your choices might eventually contribute to the NHS deficit?
Yes I do. This is probably really bad to say, but I'm generally a really healthy person, so I almost don't feel as bad. Which is a really bad way of thinking, really.

I feel the same way – I'm a vegetarian who smokes, so does that make me OK in the end? Probably not. Thanks, Mike!

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