Encouraging a healthier population

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

What should authorities do to improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing? Pasqueline Agostinho investigates

Ever since I began my hobby of going to the gym, I’ve been inspired in maintaining a healthy eating regime. However, I have also become concerned that the authorities have had little success in encouraging healthier eating for both children and adults.

In England, one in three children are overweight or living with obesity and over 63% of adults are overweight or living with obesity, the percentage being higher for Black ethnic groups.

When obesity costs the NHS £6.5 billion a year, it is clear the government’s strategies to improve physical wellbeing have failed.

A study from the University of York found that “educational interventions are likely to be less effective in tackling food insecurity and poor nutrition” among poor families. Participants with low-incomes said they had clear knowledge of healthy diets but couldn’t afford to maintain one. They also stated that processed food was often more accessible than healthy options because of its lower cost. This indicates that the government’s strategies are failing because of their own policies that prevent affordable living.

Poverty obstructs any efforts to convince people to eat healthier

However, it is not just about the cost of food. Geographical access was another problem mentioned in the study, where local shops lack healthy and fresh food but the cost of travelling to large supermarkets, where availability is broader, is expensive.

The government has been successful in raising awareness of good nutrition but nothing else.

Destitution levels in the UK are rising. From 2019 to 2022, destitution increased by 61%, with 3.8 million people, including one million children, experiencing it. Around 14.4 million people are in poverty. This obstructs any efforts to convince people to eat healthier.

What methods should authorities adopt?
Some believe we have not been living in a ‘cost-of-living crisis’ but under pro-austerity by the previous government. The first measure the authorities should take to encourage a healthier population is to tackle poverty. Additionally, a long-term solution of better urban planning, to solve geographical issues, is essential.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a charity that funds research into solving poverty, suggests that Universal Credit (a payment given to people on low incomes) should have an Essentials Guarantee to ensure that everyone has a protected minimum amount to afford food and other household items.

Regular fitness can prevent strokes, diabetes, heart disease and cancers

This should also include support for travel so that those on Universal Credit have better access to supermarkets with fresh food. Instead, the government has been punishing people on benefits by adding deductions for each debt they owe.

Other things that could make life more affordable would be implementing a real Living Wage that isn’t just adjusted for inflation, as well as introducing rental controls and a stronger energy price cap.

To improve geographical access to healthier food, a short-term solution would be to make public transport cheaper while a long-term solution would be urban planning reforms such as ‘15-minute cities’ where you can get all you need within a 15-minute range, whether via walking, public transport or even cycling.

These things will ease access to healthier and nutritious foods.

How to encourage physical activity
Regular fitness can prevent strokes, diabetes, heart disease and cancers. This leads to a higher life expectancy and higher quality of life. It can also improve mental wellbeing by reducing depression, anxiety and negative mood and by improving one’s self-esteem. I can say that this has been the case for me.

Involving students in activities such as taster sessions and competitions to design the menu are great ideas

In my opinion, the best way to encourage physical activity is by introducing a voucher scheme and promoting it in the workplace. A voucher scheme would reward a participant for exercises by providing discounts for shopping and for the gym.

How to make healthy eating look pleasant in schools
In my experience, healthy eating did not look attractive to me when I was in primary school. The food was disgusting but, in secondary school, it was much better, although there’s room for improvement.

As well as being healthy, schools should always make sure that the food is tasty but this cannot be without the pupils’ voice. A blog suggested that involving students in activities such as taster sessions and competitions to design the menu are great ideas for them to become invested in making healthier choices. I believe that more pupils would feel more motivated to eat healthier outside of school.

An example of this was Exposure’s Saucy Sandwich Snaps competition, commissioned by the local authority in Haringey, which offered children and young people guidance and prizes to create a healthy sandwich recipe.

Saucy Sandwich Snaps competition logo

I also think that the prohibiting of snacks and chocolate at schools simply encourages pupils to eat more snacks and chocolate outside. In other words, I believe banning only feeds into the problem. If there are competitions to design the menu, then I think that some of the rewards should include shopping discounts for ingredients to make your own healthy and tasty meal at home.

Conclusion
A healthier population leads to better wellbeing. With a mental health crisis, where NHS services are not always accessible, it’s hard to pick an alternative when you are poor.

Quarantine due to the pandemic made me feel down and sad but I am grateful for motivating myself to exercise which has improved my wellbeing.

Exercise does not need to be limited to the gym. I started at home, when nothing else was available, but alternatives, made more accessible by government policy, can help reduce mental illness and diseases.