Abstract
By 2050 the number of adults living with obesity in the UK will rise with approximately 1 in 4 in the adult population. This rising trend is not equitable, with higher prevalence in socially disadvantaged groups. There is an apparent paradox of not being able to provide food for the Family to eat, a feature of food insecurity and living with obesity. With the current cost-of25 living crisis, there is a challenge to afford both food and fuel bills. Environmentally sustainable
and healthy diets are proposed to improve public health and reduce the impact of the food system on the environment, while also improving diet quality. However, healthier foods tend to be nearly three times more expensive than unhealthy foods, and this provides a challenge for citizens on low incomes. In this review, we explore some of the evidence for solutions in the retail food environment to support a UK food system to be safe, nutritious, environmentally
friendly and fair for all. We highlight the value of co-production in research, to give value and power to the lived experience to address these inequalities. Our multidisciplinary research approach within the FIO Food research grant will generate new insights into modifiable and potentially impactful changes to the UK food system, specifically for the retail food sector. We believe that the co-creation, design and delivery of research with those living with obesity and food insecurity will help to transform the UK food system for health and the environment in this vulnerable group.
and healthy diets are proposed to improve public health and reduce the impact of the food system on the environment, while also improving diet quality. However, healthier foods tend to be nearly three times more expensive than unhealthy foods, and this provides a challenge for citizens on low incomes. In this review, we explore some of the evidence for solutions in the retail food environment to support a UK food system to be safe, nutritious, environmentally
friendly and fair for all. We highlight the value of co-production in research, to give value and power to the lived experience to address these inequalities. Our multidisciplinary research approach within the FIO Food research grant will generate new insights into modifiable and potentially impactful changes to the UK food system, specifically for the retail food sector. We believe that the co-creation, design and delivery of research with those living with obesity and food insecurity will help to transform the UK food system for health and the environment in this vulnerable group.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Proceedings of the Nutrition Society |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 21 Nov 2023 |
| Event | Diet and health inequalities - Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom Duration: 28 Mar 2023 → 29 Mar 2023 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgementsThank our colleagues from the FIO Food team for the comments and for proofreading this article. We are also immensely grateful to our Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Advocates for their continued support and sharing valuable lived experience insights.
Financial Support
This research was funded through the Transforming the UK Food System for Healthy People and a Healthy Environment SPF Programme, delivered by UKRI, in partnership with the Global Food Security Programme, BBSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, Defra, DHSC, OHID, Innovate UK and FSA (BB/W018020/1 - FIO Food award).
Keywords
- diet inequality
- health inequality
- FIO Food
- food insecurity
- food system
- sustainability
- obesity
- co-production
- Intervention
