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Hi everyone, hope you are having a good weekend! I just wanted to share this article about the link between debt and healthy eating as I found it very interesting. As a lot of you will know, I work in the voluntary / charity sector and I’m acutely aware how expensive a lot of basic healthy food such as fruit and vegetables are when compared to things such as ready meals. I also know how many people are struggling financially at the moment, we are in one hell of a horrible recession its scary.

One of the things I’d really like to do in the future is work in communities helping to show people how they can make healthy meals on a budget. I can also relate to issues around having debt although luckily I have been able to manage this. Hope you find this article thought provoking…

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Does bad debt affect your diet?

Unfortunately we’re in an age where unemployment, large debts and stagnating wage levels are very real problems for thousands of families.

But finding things difficult isn’t just bad news for your bank balance, it can also be bad news for your health.

Clearly the added stress of managing debt problems isn’t something which is going to be beneficial for your wellbeing, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.

No, the issue here is food glorious food – or in some cases the lack of it.

Since the financial crisis hit back in 2008, the papers have been littered with stories of young mothers who have been finding times so difficult that they’ve had to forego eating some days just so that they can continue to feed their children.

And that’s not all. Even those that are eating when feeling the pinch are often not getting the nourishment that their body really needs.

Indeed, a recent study conducted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) found that many people are risking their health when it comes to preparing their meals because providing themselves with a balanced and healthy diet is simply too costly.

The study looked at the dietary habits of more than 2,000 people and found that while many were not eating the correct foods, a good proportion were taking even greater risks with their wellbeing by making use of leftovers.

In itself, using food left over from one meal in another is a good practice as it prevents foods being wasted unnecessarily but the FSA found that a good amount of people were turning a blind eye to the used by dates printed on the food’s packaging and keeping items refrigerated for longer periods than is advisable.

This could be putting them at risk of food poisoning from bugs such as Salmonella and E.coli.
Bob Martin, a food safety expert at the FSA, said: "With most of us seeing our weekly shopping bills increase over the last few years, we are all looking for ways to get the most out of our shopping budget.

"Using leftover food is a good way of making our meals go further. However, unless we're careful, there's a chance we can risk food poisoning by not storing or handling them properly."
He added that there is no better judge of a food’s condition than your own senses so the best course of action is to smell any produce before deciding whether it is fit for consumption.
The link between poverty and unhealthy eating is well established.

The Faculty of Public Health at the Royal College of Physicians have published a paper in which it was said that a lack of money led to poorer diet, which in turn led to an increased risk of conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.

It is currently estimated that ten million people in the UK live in conditions which could be classified as impoverished, with two million of that number being children.

And the Faculty of Public Health, said that good eating habits are often established in childhood. Put simply, if their parents are struggling financially they will not teach their children the benefits of healthy eating.

This could mean that regular meals consisting of a cheeseburger and chips become the norm and eating truly good foods like fruit and vegetables becomes a rarity.

Their claims are backed up by a study carried out by life assurance and pensions provider Prudential early this year which found that 52 per cent of people believe their health had deteriorated since the start of the credit crunch.

We’ve all heard about the need to get ‘five a day’, but debts and other financial issues means that the number of people managing to eat in such a health conscious manner has fallen by a whopping 26 per cent in recent years.

So the advice is simple, cut down on non-essentials but don’t scrimp and scrape when it comes to your health.

If you’re struggling to eat healthily because of debt, you can ring Debt Free Direct for free Debt Advice.

‘When things get tight it’s always a good idea to cut back on your spending and prioritise those debts that really must be paid at all costs.’

I think as well as financial struggles affecting your health via diet, the effect of stress could be even worse! What are your thoughts on this? Has the credit crunch affected your health?

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