Speaking to Express.co.uk, Dr Armitage said: “The cost-of-living crisis is expected to trigger serious physical and mental health complications upon the public sphere.
“The crisis will inevitably have an impact on the UK’s obesity rates. Rising food costs can make it more difficulty for those with stretched budges to buy healthier food.”
It isn’t just about the quality of food people consume, it’s also about the consequences of financial hardship on the risks of other conditions.
Dr Armitage explained: “For instance, people who are unable to afford to heat their homes leave themselves exposed to increased risk of certain diseases such as pneumonia.”
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Although a cold home is less relevant during the hot summer months, if the crisis continues into the winter, thousands of families are likely to see their risk of developing chest infections rise.
One fear among some experts is a rise in cases of malnourishment and scurvy, a term used to describe a vitamin C deficiency.
Although one may think of scurvy as a disease of the past, Dr Armitage says this is no longer the case: “Shockingly, the number of scurvy, rickets, and malnutrition cases in English hospitals have more than doubled since 2010, according to NHS data.
“This growing number of people falling ill is a direct results of vitamin deficiencies coinciding with increasing poverty, reliance on food banks and reduction in the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.”
Dr Armiatage added: “The cost-of-living crisis could mean an increase in malnourishment and scurvy cases.”
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Both the price rises and rise in scurvy cases will impact the NHS.
The NHS runs a network of food banks all around the country; the cost-of-living crisis will see their usage rise and the malnourishment cases will see more pressure placed on a system struggling to recover from a post-Covid lockdown.
Dr Armitage say the crisis “will have a real impact on public health, in turn translating to longer waiting times for care, as reduced teams will work harder to clear already lengthy waiting lists in response to rising demand for services”.
So bad is the crisis in 2022 NHS staff are resorting to food bank use.
Furthermore, Dr Armitage says there is “now an increased responsibility for supermarkets to promote more affordable, healthy food options and offers. People can then plan meals ahead of time around the healthier deals available, while staying on budget”.
In the meanwhile, there is hope the government will increase the level of support it is giving to the poorest in society so they can survive this difficult period.
Around the country there are reports of people choosing between heating and eating, or going down to just one meal a day.
There are fears by campaigners things may only get worse as winter comes back around.
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