Diabetes UK is urging health secretary Wes Streeting to reduce health inequalities and type 2 diabetes rates through wider access to free school meals for primary school children in England.
An open letter has been presented to Streeting which has been signed by 300 society organisations, politicians and public figures calling for the urgent adoption of free school meals across the country.
The letter has been written by the National Education Union (NEU) and comes as part of its No Child Left Behind campaign, which is calling on government to ensure every child has the basics to learn, thrive, and have a bright future.
Other signatories include the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health as well as Child Poverty Action Group.
Benefits
Previous reports have indicated that universal free school meals can help narrow health inequalities and prevent childhood obesity.
In fact, a recent academic study showed that free school meals are more effective at reducing obesity than things like nutrition education and exercise schemes.
The Universalism Multiplier report from NEU and Child Poverty Action Group suggested other benefits from free school meals include increased financial security, improved school engagement, and reduced stigma and social exclusion.
“Childhood obesity rates are rising and, shockingly, so is the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,” said CEO at Diabetes UK, Colette Marshall.
“Long-standing health inequalities are being made worse by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and this lack of access to nutritious, healthy food risks causing irreversible harm to the health of a gener, freeation of young people.”
NHS context
Obesity costs the NHS around £6.5bn a year and is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer – more than a quarter (26%) of adults are living with obesity in England while only slightly fewer (23.4%) 10-11-year-olds are living with the condition.
Recent University of York research indicated that diabetes as a whole costs the UK an estimated £14bn a year – with £10bn of that costing the NHS directly.
Around 5.6 million people live with diabetes in the UK – every week, it leads to around:
- 3,000 cases of heart failure
- 930 strokes
- 660 heart attacks
- 184 amputations
“Action taken now would help prevent young people from developing type 2 diabetes and, with budgets already under pressure, reduce costs to the NHS in future,” concluded Marshall.
Recent surveys from NHS Providers have indicated that more than nine in 10 (92%) NHS chiefs think the upcoming year will be more challenging than 2023/24, as health leaders continue to be impacted by financial constraints.
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