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Cost of living crisis sparks troubling rise in malnutrition and return of ‘Victorian’ diseases

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Summary

The cost of living crisis has caused a dramatic increase in malnutrition cases and 'Victorian' diseases like scurvy and rickets over the past decade. 10,986 people were diagnosed with malnutrition after being admitted to English hospitals last financial year, including 312 children. Cases of scurvy have nearly tripled since 2007-08, with 171 admissions last financial year, and there have been 482 English hospital admissions for rickets. Food poverty, rising food prices, and a lack of access to fresh produce are all contributing to the problem. Community grocers and food banks are providing help, but they have their limitations. Policy change is needed to make fresh food more accessible and to bolster GP capacity.

Q&As

What is the cost of living crisis causing?
The cost of living crisis is causing a disturbing surge in malnutrition cases and ‘Victorian’ diseases.

How many people were diagnosed with malnutrition in English hospitals last financial year?
10,986 people were diagnosed with malnutrition after being admitted to English hospitals last financial year, including 312 children.

What is causing the increase in malnutrition cases?
The cost of living crisis, food poverty, and the increasing reliance on fast food are causing the increase in malnutrition cases.

How can food banks help address malnutrition?
Food banks can provide an excellent service, but they are unfortunately not able to reach everyone who needs them and the fresh fruit and vegetable options are often quite limited.

What measures are needed to reduce malnutrition levels?
Systemic policy change is needed, such as making fresh food accessible and bolstering GP capacity, as well as increased funding for public services and retention initiatives to encourage existing GPs to stay in the profession.

AI Comments

👍 This article does an excellent job of highlighting the alarming rise in malnutrition and Victorian diseases in the UK due to the cost of living crisis. The article also provides an insightful analysis of the structural and policy issues that need to be addressed.

👎 This article fails to offer any concrete solutions to the problem it discusses. It also fails to provide any meaningful data on how food poverty in the UK is impacting people's health.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about the cost of living crisis sparking a troubling rise in malnutrition and return of "Victorian" diseases. The article says that cases of malnutrition among children have quadrupled in the past 15 years and doubled in the past decade. They also mention that cases of scurvy and rickets are also stubbornly high due to people not being able to afford fresh produce and relying on food banks that often have limited options.

Friend: That's really concerning. What are the implications of this?

Me: The article mentions that this is largely due to the rising cost of living and lack of systemic policy changes to address the issue. It's creating a health crisis that will be hard to overcome if nothing is done to address it. This includes providing better access to fresh produce and increasing funding for public services so that people have access to the healthcare they need. There also needs to be better support for GPs so that they can adequately address malnutrition and other nutrition-related diseases.

Action items

Donate to a local food bank or other charity that supports people in need of food.
Advocate for policy change to ensure access to fresh produce and other nutritious foods.
Sign petitions to support initiatives that help people access affordable, nutritious food.

Technical terms

Malnutrition: A condition caused by an inadequate or unbalanced diet, resulting in poor health and physical development.
Scurvy: A disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, which can lead to anemia, gum disease, and skin problems.
Rickets: A skeletal disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, which can lead to soft bones and deformities.
Food poverty: A lack of access to nutritious food due to financial constraints.
Food banks: Community hubs that provide food to those in need.
Vitamin C: A water-soluble vitamin that is essential for the body to function properly.
Vitamin D: A fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium and is important for bone health.
Folate: A B vitamin that helps the body make new cells and is important for pregnant women.