Food Poverty and Health Inequalities Panel

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• Speaker to be confirmed
• Thursday 30 January 2020, 18:30-19:30
• Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building (Cripps Court), St John’s College.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact emh77.

We will hear from several panellists from alternative perspectives on the issue, including a Labour Councillor for the Kings Hedges area of Cambridge, and an academic from our own university. More details to follow.

Why are we choosing to look at food insecurity and food poverty this term?

Food insecurity means families being unable to sustain a sufficiently nutritious and varied diet.

The impacts of this malnutrition on health are far reaching and importantly, preventable. Malnutrition increases risk of disease, increases the risk of complications from disease and can directly lead to death.

The widespread impact of increased disease burden should not be underestimated: it puts extra strain on households that already have less flexibility when it comes to childcare and working. And a child who grows up undernourished in a household affected by food insecurity is more at risk of poor growth and development, which have lifelong impact on health. And it’s not all about physical health – the impact of food insecurity of mental health should not be forgotten.

Trussel Trust (who provide for about 60% of the UK’s food banks) state that “Nearly 75% of people who have used a food bank have at least one health issue”. Poor health is both caused by and a factor in producing food insecurity. And food banks are not always able to offer a healthy range of food. Just because someone needs to use a food bank should not mean they lose the right to a healthy diet.

Whilst food insecurity mostly affects those in communities, those already receiving health or social care should also be included when thinking of malnutrition. BAPEN states that people receiving health or social care are at risk of malnourishment during their care. And the impact of this is increased length of hospital stay, increased complications and increased demand for our already overstretched healthcare services.

Tackling food insecurity is a call to improve the health of the UK population. Please join us in our other events this term and follow the Students for Global Health Cambridge Facebook page for more posts.

Access arrangements:

There is step-free access via a lift in the Fisher Building, plus wheelchair-accessible toilet facilities. Unfortunately no induction loop is available. For more accessibility information please contact the St John’s porters.

This talk is part of the Students for Global Health Cambridge series.

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• Boys Smith Room, Fisher Building (Cripps Court), St John’s College

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