Children in most deprived areas more likely to visit A&E and be obese
The organisation has called on the Government to lift its two-child benefit cap after its findings showed that where children grow up until the age of five has 'a significant impact' on their early outcomes and future potential.
In the report published on Monday, every local authority in England was analysed against its level of deprivation and a range of early childhood health and educational outcomes.
It found that, when considering early years development, the most deprived authorities were more than twice as far away from achieving the Government's 'good level' target of 75% than the most affluent areas.
Only four of the 151 upper tier local authorities in England are currently meeting that target.
Nearly twice as many children suffer from late-stage, untreated tooth decay in the most deprived areas (29%) compared to the least deprived (15%), while five-year-old children living in the poorest communities are three times more likely to have had teeth removed due to decay, the report found.
Almost a quarter of reception-age children in the most deprived areas (24%) are overweight or obese, while general obesity levels in those areas are more than double those of children in the most affluent areas (12.9%, compared to 6%).
There is also an average of 1,020 A&E visits per 1,000 babies and young children in the most deprived areas, an increase of 55% on rates in the most affluent areas, the report found.
The five local authorities with the highest levels of deprivation – Blackpool, Knowsley, Liverpool, Kingston upon Hull, and Middlesbrough – were each in the lowest 20% for five of the six child wellbeing measures used in the analysis.
Some 1.2 million babies and children under the age of five – 35% of the age group's total population – now live in poverty across England, the report said.
It added that child poverty has increased more in the UK then in any of the 38 OECD and EU countries.
Among the report's recommendations are long-term, sustainable funding and expanding provision for Family Hubs, recruiting an additional 1,000 health visitors a year and making access to Government-funded childcare hours equal for all children aged two or older, regardless of their location or parental employment.
Unicef UK, joined by BBC presenter Dr Chris Van Tulleken, will present a petition calling for investments in early childhood, which has more than 105,000 signatures, to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday.
Chief executive Dr Philip Goodwin warned the consequences of growing up in poverty can be lifelong and said the report's findings were 'not acceptable'.
He said: 'There must be immediate, decisive, and ambitious action by the government. Any further delays will entrench inequality and condemn hundreds of thousands of children to poverty and its effects, as child poverty rates continue to rise.
'The Government must act urgently to lift the two-child limit and the benefit cap and commit to investing in the vital health and education services that support children during their crucial early years.'
Introduced in 2015 by then-Conservative chancellor George Osborne, the cap restricts child welfare payments to the first two children born to most families.
Sir Keir Starmer said he was 'absolutely determined' to 'drive down' child poverty when he was pressed on the two-child benefit cap in Parliament last week, ahead of the publication of the Government's strategy on the issue.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Baby food firms given 18 months to improve quality of products in England
Baby food manufacturers have been given 18 months to improve the quality of their products in England, amid mounting concerns that leading brands are nutritionally poor. The new voluntary guidance from the government calls for a reduction in sugar and salt levels in food for infants and toddlers. It also requests clearer labelling of products to address misleading marketing claims that make baby foods seem healthier than they are. This will cover products with labels such as 'contains no nasties', which are high in sugar. Others are labelled as snacks for babies, which goes against government recommendations that children aged six to 12 months do not need snacks between meals, only milk. It comes after researchers found that leading brands, such as Ella's Kitchen and Heinz, were making sugar-heavy, nutritionally poor baby food that failed to meet the needs of infants. A report by the University of Leeds school of food science and nutrition, published in April, found that some brands also carried misleading marketing claims, and urged the government to impose the same traffic light system found on chocolate bars and ice-cream. The report's authors said the new voluntary guidelines were disappointing and would have limited impact. Dr Diane Threapleton, the lead author of the Leeds study, said: 'They're quite narrow in scope, only looking at sugar and salt. But salt is not a major concern in UK baby food.' She raised particular concern that the voluntary guidelines did not address the poor nutritional value of many purees and pouches, which were targeted at weaning babies. The NHS advises parents to start weaning when a child is about six months old, with vegetables that are not sweet, such as broccoli, cauliflower and spinach. 'These products are often too watery. Children need really energy-dense food, rich nutrient-dense food with lots of different fibres and different sources of iron and zinc,' she said. 'But these purees, particularly those targeted as first weaning foods, are really low in energy. They are bad substitutions, especially if you're displacing a nutritious milk feed.' High levels of sugar in children's diets is a significant factor contributing to high rates of childhood obesity in the UK, which is among the highest in western Europe. At the start of primary school, more than 22% of children in England are obese or overweight, according to the latest official statistics. The public health minister, Ashley Dalton, said the guidelines would help parents who were often 'bombarded with confusing labels, disguising unhealthy foods packed with hidden sugars and salt'. Prof Simon Kenny, NHS England's national clinical director for children and young people, said: 'These new guidelines alongside clearer labelling will help empower busy parents to make nutritious choices that give their children the best possible start in life.' Last year a House of Lords report found commercial infant foods 'are routinely high in sugar and marketed misleadingly'. It called on the government to introduce mandatory legal standards for commercial infant foods, without input from manufacturers. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it expected manufacturers to meet the labelling guidelines within 18 months, adding: 'If businesses fail to act, we will consider tougher measures.' Another study found legislation in England to restrict supermarket sales of foods high in fat, sugar or salt had led to millions fewer products being bought. Researchers at the University of Leeds estimated that 2m fewer such products were sold per day after the law took effect in 2022. The number of items high in fat, sugar or salt sold in Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Asda dropped from 20 out of every 100 before the legislation to 19 out of every 100 afterwards.
Daily Mail
9 hours 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.'
STV News
9 hours ago
- STV News
GP practices to receive £15m funding boost in bid to improve services
The health secretary has announced £15m in funding for GP practices in Scotland in a bid to improve services. The funding will aim to support staff and ensure more roles are recruited, while allowing practices to build up capacity and support the day-to-day running of services. Neil Gray said: 'We have been listening carefully to the views of Scotland's GPs and as a result, I am pleased to confirm an initial additional investment of £15m for the current financial year.' The funding announcement comes after discussions with the sector about the sustainability of GP services. The Scottish Government said negotiations will continue around further support to 'help shift care from acute to community'. 'This new funding will help support capacity and ensure GPs and services in the community have the resources they need for their essential role in our health system', Gray added. 'We remain in negotiations with the sector on the provision of further support in the future, but this initial instalment demonstrates this Government's commitment to supporting primary care and alleviating current pressures on the system. 'We want to make it easier for people to see their GP and to achieve this we are working towards ensuring a greater proportion of new NHS funding goes to primary and community care. 'Funding gap remains' BMA Scotland welcomed the news – but said a near-£300m funding gap remains and that GPs are still facing a considerable funding shortfall. Dr Iain Morrison, chairman of BMA Scotland's GP committee, said: 'We welcome this immediate investment to help alleviate some of the recruitment and retention issues plaguing GP practices and harming patients' access to healthcare. 'We see this as a positive move by Government to acknowledge the issues we have described in our ongoing negotiations to rescue general practice. 'Our negotiations continue with a view to stabilising and then improving GP services across the nation. 'General practice in Scotland has seen funding erosion and cost pressures generate a funding gap of £290m, which we must see restored. 'It is only by closing this substantial gap that patients will see long term, sustainable improvements in access to GPs and the care we are able to provide to them. 'On that basis, we urge the Scottish Government to build on this and come forward with a substantial offer of new long-term funding that will put general practice in Scotland on a more sustainable footing. 'General practice can offer so much more that it is able to currently. Only with substantial investment can we realise the potential and give the people of Scotland the service they deserve.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
