Households in the lowest income fifth of the population would need to spend 85% on food to afford the government-recommended healthy diet according to a report out today
The Food Foundation’s Broken Plate report documents the health of the UK food system, how it impacts our lives, and what must change to ensure healthy and sustainable diets are available and affordable to everyone
The uses 16 key markers to provide a snapshot of the current food environment, shows good food has become increasingly hard to access and afford and high rates of obesity, tooth decay and decreasing healthy life expectancy are all common for our children today.
It found that the price gap between healthier and less healthy food is increasing and is now the widest it has been in over a decade
Fruit and vegetables only account for 3% of traditional advertising food and non-alcoholic drink expenditure, compared to at least 29% for unhealthy foods
Healthier food is nearly twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy, with foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar alarmingly being the only food group to have seen a drop in price in the last year
Meanwhile Fast-food outlets make up 1 in 4 places to buy food in England, rising to over 1 in 3 in the most deprived areas
The report found that forty per cent of food and non-alcoholic drink promotions are on foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar
The report highlights that only one in 10 11-18 year olds eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, while 95% consume above recommended levels of free sugar. People in the most deprived groups are more than twice as likely to have diets lacking three or more key micronutrients compared to those in the least deprived groups
Data collected from a range of sources also shows that in an average English Reception class of 30 children, three will be living with obesity. In Year 6, this more than doubles to seven children. In reception, children in the most deprived group are nearly twice as likely to develop obesity than those in the least deprived group.
Ten-year-olds from the most deprived backgrounds are over 1.5 times more likely to have short stature, and more than one in five five-year-olds in England have tooth decay, rising to more than one in three in the most deprived areas
Healthy life expectancy is also at its lowest level since 2013–15, with a nearly 20-year gap between the least and most deprived areas.
Anna Taylor, Executive Director of The Food Foundation, said: “The Broken Plate report reveals that it is becoming increasingly difficult for struggling families to afford and access a healthy diet, despite promises from the Government to create the healthiest generation of children ever and reduce child poverty. This isn’t good enough.
“The government must press ahead with its commitments made in the 10-Year Plan, including the mandatory reporting of healthy sales by food businesses. Recent reports implied the government is considering delays to the health measures it promised only a year ago.
“This would be a grave mistake given the state of the UK’s food system, and the poor health suffered by its citizens. The government must take bold action now to fulfil its promises and ensure everyone can access the healthy and sustainable diet they deserve.”
Lynn Perry, Chief Executive of Barnardo’s said: “The food we eat during childhood has a significant impact. Yet in the UK, too many children and young people are missing out on nutritious meals, with serious consequences for their health both now and later in life.
“We know parents are making major sacrifices to ensure their children can eat as well as possible within their budgets. However, with the cost of everyday essentials remaining persistently high, healthy food is still out of reach for many families – and those living in poverty often face greater challenges in buying, preparing and accessing good food.
“With prices rising, we call on government to make sure that all children receive the nutrition they need regardless of their circumstances.”
