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Alcohol harm costing workplaces €8.5 billion in lost productivity

Alcohol harm costing workplaces €8.5 billion in lost productivity

BreakingNews.ie19 hours ago
Alcohol abuse is costing Irish workplaces €8.5 billion a year in lost
productivity, according to Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI).
Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), the national independent advocate to reduce alcohol harm, has published its latest report on the impact that alcohol has on the Irish economy and urges the government to implement policies that will reduce this heavy burden.
Alcohol's impact on public health and the health service, on crime and the criminal justice system, and on road traffic collisions is well documented.
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However, another area which is directly and indirectly affected by alcohol, but which has received far too little attention, is the workplace.
AAI's latest report, titled
Alcohol's Cost to the Workplace
, uses national and international evidence to shine a light on the impact of alcohol in the workplace in Ireland, the scale of its impact on workers, on employers, and on the economy.
The report found employers and businesses can sometimes be a major contributor themselves to alcohol use amongst workforces.
However, there is a role for employers and the trade union movement to reduce this by ensuring positive work conditions including fair treatment, recognition, meaningful work, skill variety, autonomy, acquisition and use of skills, fair rewards, promotion opportunities, friendship formation, and social support from co-workers and supervisors.
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Heavy drinking increases the risk of absenteeism, with high-risk drinkers 22 times more likely to be absent from work due to their alcohol use compared with lower-risk drinkers.
Presenteeism – which is defined as being physically present at work but, due to a physical or emotional issue, being distracted to the point of reduced productivity – is more important for lost productivity than is absenteeism, with presenteeism accounting for 77 per cent of total lost productivity in the workplace, while absenteeism is responsible for 23 per cent.
It is estimated that heavy drinking increases the risk of unemployment by as much as about five-fold compared with light drinking.
Speaking about the report, AAI chief executive Dr Sheila Gilheany said: 'Alcohol is by far the most used psychoactive substance in the workforce, with people having harmful consumption patterns that increase their risk of social, legal, medical, occupational, domestic and economic problems.
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More than half of Irish drinkers are classified as hazardous drinkers. Within that cohort of hazardous drinkers, there are 578,000 people with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), of which 90,000 are at a severe level.
'Alcohol poses a significant risk to workers, to businesses, to productivity and to the economy.
"Workers under the influence of alcohol can be a danger to themselves and to others, especially in jobs which involve a high risk of injury.
"Working under the influence of alcohol, or with a hangover, can increase the risk of accidents, injuries and absenteeism, along with tardiness at work and/or leaving work early, resulting in loss of productivity. It can also lead to the development of inappropriate behaviour at work, poor relations with colleagues, and low company morale.
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'The impact of alcohol on the workplace is multifaceted. It affects the individual in terms of mortality and morbidity, productivity, presenteeism, and absenteeism. It affects colleagues in terms of workload, and it affects employers in terms of businesses losses and competitiveness.
"However, the workplace also represents a useful access point for health promotion, including for addressing alcohol-related harm. Implementing workplace interventions to reduce hazardous drinking levels can have a positive economic impact by reducing absenteeism, presenteeism, accidents and injuries.'
Dr Gilheany said that alcohol harm is estimated to cost the Irish exchequer about 2.5 per cent of GDP every year – that is €14 billion for
2024
– in health, justice and lost productivity.
Of this, the lion's share – 61 per cent or about €8.5 billion – is due to lost productivity. She said given alcohol's huge drain on the Irish economy, much more could be done by government to address these issues.
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‘Now that I know, what do I do?' The terrible question of how and when to tell a small child about abuse
‘Now that I know, what do I do?' The terrible question of how and when to tell a small child about abuse

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

‘Now that I know, what do I do?' The terrible question of how and when to tell a small child about abuse

In the winter of 2010, less than two weeks before Christmas, dozens of parents in Amsterdam received terrible news. Police in the US had tipped off Dutch authorities that a young male childcare worker had sexually abused tens of young, preverbal children in his care, mostly boys under the age of two. The man confessed to numerous instances of abuse. The courts went on to convict him. And the parents of the children abused had to decide what to do next. As they grappled with the abuse of their child, the parents faced a difficult dilemma: If their child showed no signs of being traumatised by or even remembering the abuse, should they tell them? And how? It was a decision that researchers in the Netherlands tracked in a unique long-term study, posing questions now likely being asked by potentially thousands of parents in Australia, after allegations of serial abuse in childcare settings. 'That's the big question. 'Now that I know, what do I do?'' says Hetty Johnson, the founder of Bravehearts, an Australian child protection organisation. 'How do you rescue the child?' The burden of that decision is huge, says Johnson, 'Parents are not equipped [to handle that]… If the child is non-verbal it's even more difficult because then you're left in a situation where you're thinking 'Well, am I going to give them too much information or not enough? How do I deliver that information? What are the words I use? 'Do I even need to tell them or will they just forget about it?'' Few people can remember anything before the age of three or four, by which stage most children gain language fluency. The period until that point is regularly called 'infantile amnesia'. Additionally, there has historically been a belief that very young children feel pain less or feel it differently. Until the early 1980s it was routine for surgeries to be performed on babies without anaesthetic. This pair of assumptions led to what researchers now identify as a misconception that children may not be traumatised by events early in their lives. 'It is difficult to scientifically demonstrate whether children remember abuse that happens in pre-verbal years but we do know children develop some forms of early implicit memories from birth or even before,' says Divna Haslam, a child psychologist and associate professor at the University of Queensland. 'These memories are less about specific events and more about feelings and experiences and often fade with time. Episodic memory [the ability to remember specific events] typically develops around age four. This means while early abuse can impact children they may not vividly remember specific occurrences of very early abuse particularly over time.' Research into the impacts of early child abuse is limited. There has been an assumption that serious child sexual abuse does not happen often to children under the age of three, says Delanie Woodlock, deputy director of Childlight East Asia and Pacific at UNSW. 'It's kind of a neglected area because these children can't tell us about what's happened,' she says. Research has found that online child sexual assault material featuring infants and toddlers is 'not uncommon'. 'So contrary to what we have believed, and what we have dismissed in survivors, we now see so much evidence that this is occurring and has occurred for a long time,' says Woodcock. In the 15 years since the revelation of the abuse in Amsterdam, psychologists and researchers have been following a few dozen of the confirmed and strongly suspected victims and their families. It is a unique study in the under-researched field. Parents in the study reported their children had not been subject to any other maltreatment outside the sexual abuse case. Three years after the abuse was revealed, researchers found that 39% of the child survivors were asymptomatic. However, 30% showed sexual behaviour problems – defined as 'overstepping normative behaviour, indicating a possible link to the [child sexual abuse]' – and eight years into the study researchers reported rates of such behaviour were still 'high'. At three years into the study a quarter had attachment insecurity (although it was not possible to compare this rate to a control group). At the eight year mark, researchers reported 'low percentages of PTSD and dissociation in children at each time point' over the study, and that symptoms of 'disassociation' appeared to reduce over time. As for the parents, one in four demonstrated clinical PTSD symptoms at some point over eight years. Parents surveyed at the three year point reported feelings of guilt, shame and anger. One of the core things the researchers tracked was when, how and why parents did or did not tell their children about their abuse history. The decision to tell or not to tell was a significant source of worry for many parents, a 2024 paper by the researchers reported. Parents were cautious about the possible harm of keeping the abuse a secret and felt their child had a right to know, but were also worried about the impact that knowledge could have on their child. One told researchers: 'Why should I do this to her? To ruin her life?… It is my worry, my problem', citing a concern that the information would 'damage my own daughter again'. Over 10 years, 41 parents took part in interviews. At the 10-year mark more than two-thirds had chosen to tell their child. The researchers found that most parents said the child had no memory of the event. After they were told, many children were quiet or had questions. One child experienced PTSD after the disclosure, another asked why he had been told as he did not want to know. 'None of the parents regretted disclosing,' the study found. 'There is no strong evidence that disclosure is harmful,' the researchers concluded. However, they also found no evidence that children found out later and were angry at their parents for withholding the information, 'suggesting that not disclosing is not necessarily harmful either. However, most parents seem to experience ongoing moral dilemmas with non-disclosure while disclosing provided relief for most parents.' Haslam is keen to stress that while for some children, particularly those for whom it was repeated or severe, sexual abuse in early childhood may prompt difficulties later in life, 'this is not the case for all children'. Woodlock says families need to understand where certain behaviours in children might be coming from. But moving forward requires a balanced outlook. 'It is a significant and sometimes catastrophic event in a child's life,' she says. 'But you can heal, you can recover.' Bravehearts' Johnson says it is a mistake not to tell children of abuse in their history, not least because the child may have some form of memory retained or the trauma may manifest in different behaviour, feelings, aversions or fears. A child has the right to know what is in their past, she says, and withholding this kind of information can lead to conflict in the relationship if it is found out later. She says some parents hesitate to tell their child of past abuse for fear being labelled a 'victim' will draw sex offenders towards that child in future. 'The fact that the child has been a victim of crime is not the thing that gravitates sex offenders to that child,' she says. 'It's the disempowerment of a child. So when a child is sexually assaulted at whatever age, that takes some of their power away, their agency, their right to say no.' In her experience, telling a child can recover some of that power and reinforce that their parents intervened to protect the child as soon as the abuse was discovered. 'Silence, secrecy, shame is not the solution to anything. That is the sex offender's very best friend and our children's very worst enemy.' Disclosing abuse for parents in the Amsterdam study was a gradual process, rather than a singular event. 'Full disclosure will likely occur over a period of time with more information being provided as the child develops the emotional maturity to understand and discuss the topic, or even ask their own questions,' Haslam says. It is important, she says, to reinforce that the child is not at fault and follow the child's lead. It may be that a conversation is very short, but it is key to keep the door open for further discussion. Importantly, Haslam says, parents should have processed their own emotions – potentially with psychological support – in advance, in order to be a calm and reassuring guide to their child. 'It may also be appropriate to wait if the motivation to disclose is driven more by the parents' needs than the child's best interests,' she says. 'Don't make it a big deal,' says Johnson. 'If it's a big deal for you, don't say it because the idea is to take away that fear and all that anxiety' and to replace it with reassurance and security. For Woodlock, recovery is something that happens in families and also something that needs to play out on a larger scale. 'This happens on all of our watch,' she says. 'It's not inevitable, particularly in institutional care. This is 100% preventable. 'I think that [preventing it happening again is] something we owe them, and we should be working towards that as a community. So it's not just left up to parents.' In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helpline International

The best IPL and laser hair removal devices for quick and easy grooming at home, tested
The best IPL and laser hair removal devices for quick and easy grooming at home, tested

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

The best IPL and laser hair removal devices for quick and easy grooming at home, tested

Tired of waxing, bored by shaving and fed up with ingrown hairs? In the past few years, a quiet revolution has taken place in the hair removal market, promising to banish stubbly regrowth and take away the pain of waxing and epilation. I'm speaking of the growing number of IPL (intense pulsed light) devices suitable for home use. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Put simply, IPL uses pulses of light to make the hair go into its resting phase (stop growing) and fall out. IPL isn't a permanent hair-removal solution like electrolysis, but you should see a significant reduction in hair regrowth over time. With the right device, it's also simple to do at home, fairly quick and almost completely painless. I tried 10 of the best at-home IPL devices at a range of price points to see which left me feeling soft and smooth without stress or mess. Best IPL device overall for face and body:Philips Lumea 9900 Best budget IPL device: No!No! Plus Best for ease of use:Bondi Body v2 laser @home Best for all skin and hair types: Silk'n 7 Best laser hair removal device: CurrentBody Skin laser hair removal device I'm new to IPL, but over the past 15 years as a beauty journalist I've tested my fair share of depilation tools and products. I've also been removing hair from parts of my body using other methods for well over 30 years, and I'm always looking for ways to make the process simpler, quicker and less painful. I tested 10 IPL machines, including corded and cordless models. To test, I used each device as directed for three full sessions, focusing on the same place every time and keeping a record of how long it took to treat each area, how the treated area felt afterwards, and how much regrowth was visible after the first, second and third sessions. In my commitment to thoroughness (and almost total disregard for the conventions of summer dressing), I also left a 'control' area untreated, to compare regrowth against. I checked the weight and dimensions of each device and noted how easy each felt to hold and manoeuvre in normal use. I also used a stopwatch to time the flash rate. Finally, I noted the total number of flashes each device can produce – an indication of the product lifetime. Any devices not returned to the manufacturer after testing were donated for resale to the homelessness charity Crisis. Here are the seven best IPL devices from my tests. Philips has been in the IPL game for years – the first Lumea model was launched in 2010, and this version came out last year. The Lumea 9900 is particularly versatile, with five power levels and four attachments for use on the face, underarms and body. Why we love itThe neatest aspect of the Lumea 9900 is the four smart attachments that trigger a suitable light intensity for the selected treatment area when fitted: the body attachment covers larger patches quickly, while the facial attachment triggers a more gentle intensity suitable for sensitive skin. I tested a more expensive version of the 9900 (model BRP958) that comes with a separate mini facial hair remover (handy for treating peach fuzz), but the version linked above also treats facial hair and sensitive areas effectively thanks to the smart attachments that go on the main unit. The Lumea 9900 can be used with mains power or cordless; I found using it in cordless mode made it easy to reach areas such as under the arms, although the flash rate is faster when plugged into the mains. An optional app helps with recommended settings for your skin tone and treatment area, and a handy treatment schedule tracker. If you're primarily looking for a leg treatment, there are cheaper devices here that are also easier to hold – the Lumea's design is a bit top-heavy and can feel awkward. But if you want to use it on your face and multiple body parts, it's the most versatile device on our list. I had good results within a few weeks, with less hair growing back than usual. It's a shame that … with a flash rate of about two seconds a flash, it takes more time to move the device over a treatment area, so it's comparatively slow. It takes about 10 minutes to do a half leg with the Lumea, compared with five with faster devices. Suitable for dark skin/light hair? NoFlash rate (timed): two seconds a flash when plugged into mains (slower when cordless)Lifetime number of flashes: 450,000 Power levels: fiveNumber of attachment heads: four The No!No! Plus IPL hair remover is an ultra-simple device for anyone unsure about the steep cost of premium options. It's budget-friendly and does the basics with absolutely zero bells and whistles. Why we love itRetailing at £160, the Plus has five intensity levels and attachments for face, body and bikini areas. In three test sessions on my leg, I saw some thinning of the hair and reduced regrowth, although not to the same extent as the more powerful models in our list. While the device is easy to use, it emits an alarmingly bright flash – there's a reason a pair of dark glasses is included. It also feels somewhat slight and plasticky in comparison with the sturdy builds of the other devices. This is very much an entry-level device for the IPL-curious; if you don't fancy spending a ton on hair removal, this could be the one for you. It's a shame that … hair regrowth is not reduced by as much as with pricier models; it's definitely built for value rather than quality. Suitable for dark skin/light hair? NoFlash rate (timed): two seconds per flashLifetime number of flashes: 300,000Power settings: fiveNumber of attachment heads: two, plus one built in Another good choice for IPL and laser newcomers, the Bondi Body's biggest attractions are its neat size and foolproof ease of use. Why we love itThe V2 IPL device (note that despite the name, it's an IPL, not a laser) is among the more compact models in our test. Barely bigger than a typical electric shaver or epilator, the contoured oval unit fits nicely in the palm of the hand and is easy to grasp and manoeuvre. The V2 doesn't come with extra heads or attachments, but that makes it simple and intuitive to use – just press the flash button and go. There are eight intensity settings, so the V2 can be used on both sensitive areas and coarser hair – I found level six quite comfortable to use on my leg. Bondi Body recommends use up to twice a week on legs and arms, and I found regrowth on my test leg noticeably reduced over the testing period. It's also compact enough to join you on your travels. It's a shame that … the V2 is limited in which skin and hair colours it can be used with – like many IPL devices (but not all; see the Silk'n below). The three-second flash time is on the slower side, so treating a full area takes longer. Suitable for dark skin/light hair? NoFlash rate (timed): three seconds per flashLifetime number of flashes: 400,000 Power levels: eightNumber of attachment heads: no additional attachments Many of the IPL devices in our test can be used only on fair to medium skin tones, and with medium to dark hair colours. The big appeal of the Silk'n 7 is its skin colour sensor, which calibrates the treatment to work on a wider range of skin and hair colours. Why we love itTo test the skin and hair colour detection, I used the Silk'n 7 on my arm hairs, which are a very light blond and not usually suitable for IPL treatment. I also tested an area on my leg to compare with our other models. It took both areas in its stride, and I did notice slower regrowth on my arm and leg over the testing period. The Silk'n 7 has a long, tapered design slightly reminiscent of a Dust Buster – the one I tested came in a rather glam pale gold colour. The device felt comfortable to hold and easy to use; the rotating swivel head makes it easy to reach the more awkward areas of the body, and there are attachments for face, body and underarm areas. I also liked the optional phone app to help keep track of treatments. Sign up to The Filter Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. after newsletter promotion It's a shame that … the Silk'n 7 is one of the more expensive products in our test – but good value if you have a skin/hair colour combination that the other products on our list can't handle. Suitable for dark skin/light hair? YesFlash rate (timed): two per secondLifetime number of flashes: 600,000Power levels: fiveNumber of attachment heads: three The CurrentBody Skin is the only device here that includes a Class 4 laser diode – a more powerful method of at-home epilation, reflected in the price tag. Why we love itUnlike other devices tested, the CurrentBody Skin uses a true laser instead of scattered IPL light. This means the treatment schedule is a bit different: rather than every two weeks or so, the recommendation is to use it three times in the first week and weekly thereafter. While this requires a few evenings dedicated to treatments in the first few days, there were noticeably smoother patches on my test leg after just a couple of weeks. Instead of flashing, the device emits a gentle pulse of warm red light; I found there was a bit of a knack to seeing when the light had pulsed so that I could move on to the next area. The fan that cools the device is also one of the loudest in our test, and it's quite heavy to hold in the hand. However, each individual treatment is fast, so you're not holding it for too long, and after a few weeks you won't need to hold it very often. It's a shame that … it's expensive compared with other devices on our list, and is heavy to hold – but the fast results speak for themselves. Suitable for dark skin/light hair? No Flash rate (timed): not applicableLifetime number of flashes: not applicablePower levels: sixNumber of attachment heads: no additional attachments Best for: comfort Swedish beauty brand Foreo's cute candy-coloured device is a user-friendly product for anyone nervous about trying IPL. The compact unit has a colourful silicone casing, which is easy to grip and feels soft as it glides over the skin. The large treatment window and fast flash rate of two flashes a second mean you can cover large areas quickly and won't have to spend long on each treatment. There's a downloadable app that guides you through the treatment steps, which is handy if you're new to IPL – although the device can be used without. It didn't make the final cut because … while I definitely saw a reduction in regrowth after three sessions, there wasn't as much as with other devices: Foreo recommends 12 weeks' use for best results. The app is useful (and free) but pushes you to spend more on subscription plans and upgrades. Suitable for dark skin/light hair? No; flash rate (timed): two flashes a second; lifetime number of flashes: 500,000; power settings: five; number of attachment heads: no additional attachments Best for: an all-rounder The Braun Silk Expert Pro 5 IPL is a powerful all-in-one device. The big draw here is Braun's SensoAdapt technology, which continuously adjusts the light intensity to skin tone so that it's always using the most effective level for fast results. You can also manually select from three power levels, and there are two attachment heads: standard for body, and precision for face and intimate areas. Results after three sessions were very good, and Braun promises up to 95% reduction in hair growth with weekly use in the first four to 12 weeks. It didn't make the final cut because … I slightly preferred the Lumea 9900 for ease of use, although this is a sleek and powerful device. The Silk Expert Pro 5 is less effective on light hair or dark skin – so you might also prefer the Silk'n 7 at this price point. Suitable for dark skin/light hair? No; flash rate (timed): two flashes per second; lifetime number of flashes: 400,000; power settings: three; number of attachment heads: two IPL stands for intense pulsed light – a system that uses pulses of light to heat up the hair follicles and cause the hair to go into its telogen or 'resting' phase. This makes the hair shed (or fall out) and grow back more slowly and finer. Laser treatment used in salons also heats up the hair follicles to reduce regrowth, but the light used in IPL treatments is broad-spectrum and safe for use at home. Although IPL isn't a permanent hair removal treatment, it will significantly reduce hair growth over time. IPL can also be used as a skin treatment to reduce hyperpigmentation, broken veins and acne rosacea. As an IPL newbie, I was surprised to find that the first step is to remove hair from the target area – this is so that the pulsed light reaches the hair follicle directly rather than burning surface hairs, which can cause discomfort. Use your IPL on dry skin, and avoid using body lotions before a treatment. If you're using IPL for the first time, start with a test area to check for discomfort before you do the whole body. Select your power level and use the 'flash' button to emit a pulse of light, then move on to the next area and repeat. Some devices have a useful 'glide' mode, where holding down the flash button releases pulses continuously as you move it over the body. An IPL device with a faster flash rate will, obviously, cover your chosen treatment area more quickly. The treatment works best on light skin with dark hair; very light blond or grey hair may not respond well, and darker skin tones may be at risk of burns. Always check the manufacturer's guidelines to ensure your skin and hair type are compatible. IPL is also not suitable for male facial hair due to the thickness of beard hair. Avoid using IPL on sore or broken skin or very sensitive areas. If your device is designed for facial hair, follow the instructions carefully and use any special facial attachments included. Never use a body-only device on the face. The main drawback is the upfront cost – IPL devices cost more than you're probably used to spending on hair removal. However, if you tot up the cost of a monthly salon wax (or even at-home waxing and depilation), you'll probably find that an IPL device costs the same or less after about a year or so. IPL devices are also less painful than waxing or epilation, cleaner than creams, and reduce ingrown hairs and irritation compared with shaving. Below each product in this roundup, we've detailed the number of flashes each device is expected to produce over its working lifetime, ranging from 300,000 to 600,000 flashes. What that means in practice will depend on the size of the area you want to treat and how often you treat it. You can expect to use about 100-120 flashes each time you treat a half leg (ankle to knee), with most devices recommending a monthly maintenance treatment after the first eight to 12 weeks of use. If you're using your IPL on your arms and legs once a month, that means your device should last between 20 and 30 years – plenty of use for the price. If you want to upgrade your IPL device before it reaches the end of its natural life, you'll want to make sure you dispose of your current device sustainably. If your IPL device still works but you no longer need it, check whether the manufacturer offers a refurbishment or resale programme; you may even be able to trade in your old model for a newer device. Resale programmes are also great for buying if you're on a budget – manufacturer-refurbished IPLs come with the same statutory guarantees as new products, so they're safe to use and often significantly cheaper. If your IPL device no longer works, it can still be recycled under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. Some manufacturers and retailers accept devices for recycling at the point of sale, or you can check if your local recycling centre accepts WEEE items. If your local centre can't take WEEE for any reason, Recycle Your Electricals should be able to help. Lise Smith is a beauty and lifestyle journalist who loves getting her hands and hair on the latest in beauty technology. While she usually reviews straighteners, curling brushes and other devices that keep your hair looking fabulous, Lise also knows what to do with a gadget designed to get rid of it

The wartime RATIONS diet that could help you lose weight, according to experts - and it's far cheaper than Mounjaro!
The wartime RATIONS diet that could help you lose weight, according to experts - and it's far cheaper than Mounjaro!

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

The wartime RATIONS diet that could help you lose weight, according to experts - and it's far cheaper than Mounjaro!

While Gen Z and Millennials in Britain have become accustomed to eating trendy acai bowls in the name of good health, or even resorting to weight loss jabs, experts say that a simple wartime diet could in fact the key to losing weight. A 1940s ration diet can 'naturally support weight loss ' unlike highly processed 'modern day diets', according to medical experts. Swapping a culture of takeaways and mindless snacking for bread, baked beans, minced meat and tinned fruit is beneficial for gut health because they are 'great sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals'. After World War II was declared in September 1939, the British government had to cut down on the amount of food it shipped in from other countries, as German submarines started targeting supply ships. This meant that each citizen was limited to a certain amount of milk, eggs, butter, sugar, tea and meat every week - including only having one fresh egg. Cupboard essentials did not gather dust as they do today, but were instead depended on by millions of struggling families. One woman recently followed the basic diet for eight days and was shocked after she shed 5Ibs and felt more energetic, completely transforming the way she saw food. Nutritional therapist Deborah Grayson, who runs Digestion With Confidence, said the wartime diet is healthy because it limits 'high-calorie, low-nutrient foods' and therefore eases people into a calorie deficit. She told the Daily Mail: [It] focuses on structured, three-meal-a-day eating. With minimal snacking and desserts only at the weekend, it encourages a gentle calorie deficit without feeling restrictive. 'Unlike modern diets, which are often high in processed foods, added sugars and frequent snacking, the wartime diet relied on fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared from scratch. 'Meals were simple, filling and based around vegetables, legumes and whole grains - foods that naturally promote satiety and stable energy levels.' Deborah said that the 1940s style of eating is 'excellent for heart health, digestive function and long-term wellbeing'. She said that beans, porridge and vegetables are high in fibre and supports gut health and the low intake of saturated fat and sugar reduces the risk of obesity and metabolic disease. She added: 'We could all benefit from adopting some wartime principles today - cooking at home, eating whole foods, limiting snacks and focusing on fibre-rich meals. 'That said, we would need to make small adjustments to meet modern nutritional needs, such as including more fruit, oily fish and vitamin D sources, which is tricky to achieve from food alone, so ensure regular exposure to daylight.' Deborah said that while the wartime diet has many strengths, it is not entirely perfect. Fruit and certain nutrients like calcium and omega-3 fatty acids were limited, and protein variety was lower than we recommend today,' she said. 'Anyone trying this style of eating now should ensure they're getting a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals.' DAILY 1940S RATION MEAL PLAN DAILY MEAL PLAN MONDAY Breakfast: Porridge Lunch: Mixed salad with haricot beans and bread and butter Dinner: Parsnip pie with creamed cabbage and apple TUESDAY Monday: Porridge Lunch: Leftover parsnip pie with haricot beans Dinner: Potato and green pea cakes with side salad and tinned peaches WEDNESDAY Breakfast: Porridge with leftover tinned peaches Lunch: Potato salad with salad leaves, tomatoes and cucumber Dinner: Leek tart with leafy green vegetables THURSDAY Breakfast: Poor knights fritters Lunch: Leftover leek tart with a mixed salad Dinner: Cottage pie with green beans FRIDAY Breakfast: Porridge Lunch: Leftover cottage pie with peas Dinner: Vegetable stew with haricot beans and leftover mince SATURDAY Breakfast: Bubble and squeak Lunch: Cheese sandwich and mixed salad Dinner: Lord Woolton pie with leafy greens and oatmeal Betty SUNDAY Breakfast: Baked beans on toast Lunch: Leftover woolton pie with salad Dinner: Roast vegetables and carrot flan with leftover oatmeal Betty and custard Source: The 1940s Experiment blog WW2 WEEKLY RATIONS Butter: 57g Margarine: 113g Lard: 57g Milk: 2 to 3 pints Eggs (fresh): 1 Bacon: 57g Sugar: 227g Tea: 57g Meat: Around 450g Eggs (dried): 1 packet (12 eggs) every four weeks Sweets: 350g every four weeks She said that planning meals, eating whole foods, cooking with basic ingredients and resisting the urge to snack are 'just as relevant for health and weight management today as they were 75 years ago'. Throughout the 1940s, Brits relied on recipes such as Woolton pie, which typically had a filling of cauliflower, parsnips, carrots and onions - because of the limitation on meat. They made use of all of their limited ingredients by using leftovers to create bubble and squeak, which is cooked cabbage fried with potatoes and often leftover meat. Poor Knights Fritters, also known as French toast, was also eaten during the wartime as it was made up of less than five ingredients - stale bread, milk, sugar and sometimes jam. Registered menopause nutritionist Karen said that pulses put into stews with cabbage are 'great sources of fibre, vitamins and minerals'. She said: 'Leftovers for lunch are great and are something I advocate for. No sad sandwiches or meal deals as they won't give you the sustenance that leftover cottage pie and peas would. 'No processed food is important as eating ultra-processed food can often lead to overeating and insulin resistance, which are both common reasons for weight gain.' Karen said that we are 'so spoilt' with food choices in the 21st century, as we have a range of fruits, vegetables and meats available to us throughout the year. 'Back then it would have been very seasonal' she said. 'Although seasonal food often tastes better because it has just been picked, our dopamine receptors also like variety.' During World War II, each person was limited to approximately 57g of butter, 113g of margarine, 57g of lard, two pints of milk, one fresh egg, 57g of bacon, 227g of sugar, 57g of tea and around 450g of meat. Sweets were seen as a luxury, with Brits receiving a 350g packet every four weeks. Dr Emily Leeming, dietician and the author of Genius Gut, said that those living through World War II did a 'good job of making the most of simple, affordable staples'. She said: 'It's built around beans, oats and vegetables, so while it would probably still fall short of today's 30g a day fibre target, it's almost certainly higher in fibre than the average modern diet. 'It's also noticeably free of many of the ultra-processed foods that dominate today's diets, instead the convenience is from making use of leftovers instead.' However, Emily agrees that it would not fully meet the expectations of a balanced diet now. 'The protein is a little low, there's no oily fish to provide omega-3, and very little dairy or fruit, meaning key nutrients like calcium and certain vitamins are missing. 'If you were to modernise this plan, you'd add one to two portions of fish each week, a wider range of fruits and vegetables, some dairy, and more protein from foods like eggs, lentils, chicken, fish, nuts and seeds.' Louise Carter, a dietician and wellness expert, said that the calorie restriction and reduced intake of sugar and processed foods would encourage weight loss. She said: 'Today's way of eating - while we have more variety of foods, is full of convenience and really large portions. Foods are higher in added sugars, preservatives, fats and refined carbohydrates whereas the 1940's diet was naturally lower in these. 'Portion sizes were also smaller, and meals were often based around simple vegetables and whole grains, with less focus on protein and dairy. 'Elements of the 1940's way of eating could definitely benefit us today. I am always encouraging people to cook more at home, eat more whole foods, and limit processed snacks. Understanding how meals are made and balancing them is key.' However, Louise felt as though wartime meals lacked protein which is 'an important part of wellness and should not be neglected'. She added: 'Our sedentary lifestyles also mean we do not need as many carbohydrates.' Belle Amatt, a nutritionist at W-Wellness, said the 1940s diet would be good for those who are prone to snacking or consuming more calories than they expend. 'The wartime food plan emphasises limited portions, whole foods, and structured meals. This style of eating, rooted in wartime scarcity, prioritises simple ingredients like root vegetables, modest protein, and very little sugar or fat. 'Unlike today's ultra-processed, convenience-driven diets, it reduces overeating and encourages mindfulness around food. While it lacks some fibre and variety, it promotes a more intentional, sustainable approach to eating that many could benefit from today. 'A more ideal approach may be blending the structured, mindful eating patterns of the 1940s with the well-researched Mediterranean or Blue Zones diets, which are rich in variety, plant-based foods, and long-term health benefits.'

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