- Emma Clifford Bell
- Cost of Living Producer for BBC Scotland
Jen Dooley says she often sees patients with very basic vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Malnutrition cases are on the rise in Scotland, according to doctors working in the most disadvantaged areas.
A group called GPs at the Deep End is concerned that the cost of living crisis is making people more dependent on cheap processed foods.
Dr Jenn Dooley told the BBC that people are choosing the wrong foods to ‘fill their stomachs’.
She said she often saw patients lacking basic vitamins and minerals.
GPs at the Deep End is a network representing surgical physicians for the 100 most needy populations in the country.
Dr. Dooley, based in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, said: Finding signs of malnutrition. “
With less money being spent on the grocery store each week, Dr. Dooley said he fears people are eating very energy-dense foods.
“I think it’s not very nutritious and what we’re seeing is the impact,” she said.
Dr. Dooley said food banks are doing a good job but worried that they could not provide fresh, quality food.
“They tend to offer packaged, canned, and dry foods that are just nutrient-poor,” she said.
She praised the community pantry model, where a variety of foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, are sold at a fraction of the normal price to those who signed up to become members.
Jenna McNab says community pantries are helping food costs rise
At the Kizeko Community Pantry in Bathgate, mum of three, Jenna McNabb, says being able to feed her children well has reduced stress and strain on her family.
McNabb says:
She said it was very important to her to know that her two young children were well fed.
The charity’s managing director, Tracy Murdoch, said the demand was huge, mostly from working families.
“We are working on shopping slots, but we can only offer a limited number per week,” she said. will be
Where is the new research from? suggests that 1 in 10 Scottish consumers are skipping meals, and economic pressures are making people make choices that can be detrimental to their health. I’m here.
In addition to not eating enough, malnutrition can be a result of not eating the right things.
According to the Scottish Health Survey, two-thirds of Scottish adults were overweight in 2021.
Professor Mike Lean is a Consultant Physician and Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Glasgow.
Professor Mike Lean of the University of Glasgow worries that the stress of the current financial environment will lead to overeating.
“Scotland is consistently reported to have the highest levels of obesity in Europe.
“There are many other people at risk of gaining weight if circumstances change.
“Cost of living, lockdowns – all of these can exacerbate behavior, and without the physical activity necessary to burn calories, we tend to burn more calories.
“The cheapest foods are old-fashioned and traditional. Lentil soup is a very cheap and very nutritious meal.”
