A million UK adults went an entire day without eating over the past month because they could not afford to put a meal on the table.
The Food Foundation thinktank said more than one in five households said they have already faced a ”heat or eat” dilemma, cutting back on the quality or quantity of food to pay energy or other essential bills, while 59% of households fear the cost of living squeeze will leave them with less to spend on food in the future.
Food insecurity is defined as skipping meals, going hungry or not eating for a whole day – because they were unable to afford food.
“There is little doubt that the cost of living crisis is putting very real pressure on the ability of many to afford a healthy diet and is set to widen health inequalities,” the Foundation said.
About 2 million children were living in households that do not have access to a healthy and affordable diet, putting them at risk of diet-related diseases such as obesity, and poor physical growth, the Foundation said.
People with serious disability were five times more at risk than those without a disability. People on universal credit were five times more likely to be food insecure than those not claiming.
“The rapid escalation in disabled people experiencing food poverty is truly shocking. It is disabled people facing the biggest barriers to independence and inclusion that are in the worst situation; how can this possibly be acceptable?” asked Kamran Mallick, the chief executive of Disability Rights UK.
1m UK adults ‘go entire day without food’ in cost of living crisis | Food poverty | The Guardian
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