Most of us aspire to healthy living and longevity. If you live in places like Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Okinawa (Japan), and Loma Linda (California), then there is a greater probability of reaching 100 and still displaying remarkable physical and mental health.
The secret of these ‘Blue Zones’ appears to be a diet rich in plant foods, such as locally-grown vegetables, fruits and legumes. Furthermore, a striking similarity across these longevity hot spots is that meals are typically freshly prepared at home, and do not include ultra-processed foods, fast foods or sugary drinks.
image by The Big Issue. Used with permission
In contrast, the number of years residents in England can expect to spend in good health, without a disabling illness, continues to decline. The 2022 State of Ageing report calculates this at 62.4 years for men and 60.9 years for women. Worse, malnutrition is increasing in both young and old.
There are an estimated 2.9m people in England with malnutrition. Hospital admissions resulting in nutrition-related diagnoses in England increased by more than 39% over the past decade. Malnourished children are being treated for scurvy, bow legs, rickets and heart murmurs. A report from Future Health research centre identifies Norfolk as one of the worst affected areas in the country.
“We get a lot of sickness and diarrhoea because the quality of the food they’re eating isn’t great,” said Jade Hunter, a headteacher at West Earlham infant and nursery school. “I’ve had one child who came in so malnourished and ill, I had to carry them to the doctor myself.”
There is even a report of infants trying to eat sand – yes, sand – to alleviate their hunger.
Analysis by The Food Foundation estimated 4m children in the UK are vulnerable to food poverty. The Trussell Trust announced that 1.5m emergency food parcels were provided to people between April and September 2023 by their food bank network. And as food insecurity increases, so does malnutrition.
While the year on year increasing use of food banks and community larders addresses the need of hunger, their ability to provide fresh fruit and vegetables is limited. Hence much of the food distributed is processed or ultra-processed. As East Anglia Bylines reported, there is growing evidence that ultra-processed foods contribute to obesity and diabetes, as well as malnutrition.
Foot and leg of a child with rickets image by Md Aminul Islam. Licensed to KM by iStock
Malnutrition is costly. Future Health has estimated that the overall cost in England to the healthcare system is £22.6bn a year, causing an estimated 4.73m additional GP appointments each month. We know that the NHS and social care are already under huge pressure, that malnourished children have difficulty concentrating in school, that poor childhood education and nutrition impairs future ability and health, and Future Health reports that more than one fifth of the NHS budget in Norfolk and Waveney, Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Boards is spent on treating malnutrition. So, why are government and opposition politicians so silent?
“Children with teeth falling out, children with bow legs, in current society – this isn’t the Victorian era,” said Janice Jemson, from the national charity Magic Breakfast. “Parents are doing their absolute best, but they’re being marketed deliberately cheap, unhealthy food.”
As ‘Blue Zone’ countries demonstrate, fruit and vegetables high in fibre, vitamins and minerals are central to a healthy diet as well as longevity. Sustain reports that to improve our health, the UK needs to massively increase the amount of fruit and vegetables consumed (by 86%).
In May 2023 at the Farm to Fork Summit, the focus appeared to be more about trade “bringing great British food to the world” rather than improving public health in the UK and investing in the UK’s horticulture sector for greater self-sufficiency. At the same time, government officials would have known that new Brexit paperwork requirements for EU businesses exporting fruit and vegetables into the UK would begin in February 2024, with physical inspections beginning in April. And with this come predicted price increases and less choice and availability for UK shoppers. All on top of the food price rises and empty supermarket shelves already experienced in 2023.
According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s UK Poverty 2024 Report, 6m people were in “very deep” poverty in 2021/22. That is with an income far below the standard poverty line. If so many families are struggling to afford food, the likelihood of them being able to afford a diet of more costly, nutritious fruit and vegetables is unlikely. This aside from enjoying a diet that includes olive oil and wine, which are also common denominators in ‘Blue Zone’ longevity.
So, for a large part of the population, do they really have a choice of eating for healthy longevity?
More importantly, do our politicians care?
