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Britain lacks healthy eating focus as response to COVID-19, say academics

Fri, 29th Jan 2021 00:01

LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Britain has failed to adequately
support healthy nutrition for its citizens in the face of the
COVID-19 pandemic, food policy experts said on Friday.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson,
Professors Tim Lang of City, University of London, Erik
Millstone of Sussex University and Terry Marsden of Cardiff
University said a lack of government focus on healthy eating
amounted to "a dereliction of duties".

"The public needs clear nutritional advice on how to eat to
enhance their immune responses in the pandemic and people need
to have the financial resources to obtain those foods," said
Millstone.

"Poor diet and poor health has undoubtedly contributed to
the UK’s appalling COVID death rate, particularly among families
on low incomes."

Millstone said food poverty was now in the "neo-Victorian
mode" of relying on food banks, which could not keep up with
demand.

The UK has the world’s fifth-highest official death toll
from COVID-19. It reported a further 1,239 deaths on Thursday,
taking the total to 103,126.

Asked why the toll was so high, work and pensions minister
Therese Coffey told GMTV on Monday it was partly due to
Britain's ageing population and its high obesity levels.

The academics called for the creation of a Food Advisory
Group for Emergencies and urged authorities to detail foods
Britons should eat to protect their health.

They also criticised the absence of a national strategy for
food when COVID-19, Britain's departure from the European Union
and climate change increased the risks to security of supply.

In response, the British government said the country has a
large, diverse and highly resilient food supply chain which has
coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges.

"We continue to work closely with the food industry, who are
well prepared to ensure people across the country have the food
and supplies they need," said a government spokesman.

"Work also continues on the National Food Strategy, which
will review our current food system to ensure resilience from
farm to fork."
(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

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