Expand Free School Meals To Combat Rise In Malnutrition, Say Health Experts

Scores of clinicians and health experts are calling for a significant extension of free school meals to counteract the increasing risks of malnutrition, obesity, and other health concerns experienced by children in low-income families affected by the cost of living crisis. NHS professionals report seeing the effects of hunger and poor nutrition in their work throughout the UK, in line with a recent doubling of food insecurity cases. The healthcare community implores the government to extend free school meals to counter the mounting evidence of clinical problems among children experiencing food insecurity, missing out on healthy food and necessary nutrition. Food Foundation reports nearly 4 million UK children and 10 million adults experience food insecurity, including skipping meals and cutting back on nutritious food. Rural General Practitioner Martin Godfrey notes thin, pale children with low energy levels who lack energy. General Practitioner Jonathan Tomlinson reports inadequate nutrition-related fatigue, recurrent infection, and behavioural problems. Paediatrician Helen Stewart said that poor nutrition acts as a barrier to healthy growth for babies and children living in deprived communities, resulting in a rise in child obesity, teachers report of observing hungry children at school, which negatively impact their well-being and learning trajectories. The letter implores the government to extend free school meals to an additional 800,000 children on universal credit deemed ineligible for free meals under current standards. Richard Walker, managing director of the supermarket Iceland, has publicly supported the expansion of free school meals to counter rising food insecurity and vulnerability. England offers free school meals for all infant schoolchildren from reception to year 2, with children whose parents have less than £7,400 a year qualifying beyond that milestone. However, both the Scottish and Welsh governments are dedicated to providing free meals to primary school students, while various schools face hunger challenges this winter, and some are dipping into reserve funds to feed students lacking eligibility for free school meals. The UK Department for Education reports investing up to £24m in the National School Breakfast Program, providing free breakfast for disadvantaged children in schools in need, benefiting up to 1.9 million children at present.