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Just a few thoughts about why I support #FreeSchoolMeals based on my work as a clinical dietitian, academic and researcher
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Inadequate healthy food intake impacts negatively on health and wellbeing especially in most vulnerable i.e. children
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This isn’t rickets or other vitamin deficiencies common in 1920-30s but impaired growth and 
risk of long-term conditions like diabetes, heart disease & some cancers which are linked to deprivation
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risk of long-term conditions like diabetes, heart disease & some cancers which are linked to deprivation3/15
and, yes, obesity and lack of nutrients can co-exist
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Poor intake can also adversely affect brain development & ability to learn and achieve academically e.g. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27599886/
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Longer term, this worsens life chances and employability = nutritional impairment in children has life-long consequences
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Nutrition is just one of many factors affecting life chances – but it is one that we can modify by trying to ensure all young people get sufficient healthy food that they can eat
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It’s hard to get good evidence to show long-term effects of community-based food support … https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30480324/
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… but food assistance programmes are generally effective in mitigating food insecurity and improving nutritional outcomes including hunger https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30475559/
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#FreeSchoolMeals are likely to have positive effects, so it seems reasonable to provide to those who need them …
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10/15
… and so help minimise potential future expense to our society through increased NHS costs and an unfit work-force
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(Aside: it was a Conservative government who recognised that poorly nourished young men were not fit enough to join the army and set up a Cmtt on Physical Deterioration in 1903 leading to school meal provision in 1906 under Liberals) https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/britain1906to1918/timeline/g2_timeline.htm#:~:text=Government%20set%20up%20an%20inter,British%20people%20was%20getting%20worse.&text=Conservative%20government%20passed%20the%20Unemployed,cash%20handouts%20or%20temporary%20work
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We know that food security has become more of a concern during Covid-19 and that health inequalities are growing
https://arc-eoe.nihr.ac.uk/covid-19-projects-innovations-and-information/prevention-and-early-detection-health-and-social-care
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https://arc-eoe.nihr.ac.uk/covid-19-projects-innovations-and-information/prevention-and-early-detection-health-and-social-care
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And as a society, I believe we have a responsibility to address this as a moral, political and social issue: #FreeSchoolMeals can help do this
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa279/5936312
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https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa279/5936312
14/15
Supporting excellent organisations like @FareShareUK @ChildFoodTrust and @CWTFood is great but I believe Government action is also needed
@10DowningStreet @RishiSunak @GavinWilliamson @grantshapps
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@10DowningStreet @RishiSunak @GavinWilliamson @grantshapps
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