Re: Pensioner malnutrition campaign
- From: "Jerry Okamura" <okamuraj005@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:14:12 -1000
Just out of curiosity. "If" you give someone money to be spent on healthy food, how do you know that person is actually eating the healthy food they bought?
"Campaigner" <rhodes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:1193823958.940286.135190@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCEMENT
Recently the Government made public a proposal to award an allowance
of £200 to pregnant women to allow them to eat healthy foods to
benefit their unborn child.
We, as a carer forum, feel that funds should also be extended to the
elderly population to enable them to eat a more balanced and
nutritional diet. According to statistics provided by the
International Council of Nurses (www.icn.ch), an estimated 500,000
elderly in the UK are malnourished, or at severe risk of
malnutrition.
A recent study by the European Nutrition for Health Alliance
(www.european-nutrition.org) also states that this in turn costs the
UK an estimated £7.4b per year in healthcare - worryingly, in a
survey, 40% of GP's did not feel that malnutrition was a problem
therefore it is often under-recognised and under-treated and
nutritional therapy has no place within current health and social care
budgets.
Sir. Donald Acheson, a former Chief Medical officer, has previously
stated that hunger is now stalking the street of Britain, the poorest
of society now find it impossible to obtain cheap varied food which in
turn highlights how nutrition plays a fundamental role in the
important diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, stroke, heart disease
and anaemia.
(Sources: The poor of Britain are going hungry: J. Laurance
Independent 15th Oct, 1998, The Torment of Going to Bed Hungry: J.
Davison: Independent 17th Oct., 1998)
Help The Aged (www.helptheaged.org.uk) report that the amount spent by
pensioners on food and drink per week has fallen to £21.50 per week.
They also recommend the following for a healthy diet which contains
good amounts of Omega 3, Vitamin D, Calcium & Zinc:- fruit and
vegetables, wholewheat bread and other cereals, fish and meat, milk
and dairy foods. A balanced diet that in addition includes food rich
in Lutein such as sweetcorn, spinach, courgettes, red grapes, kiwis,
green peppers and cucumber protect against cataracts and macular
degeneration.
Age Concern (www.ageconcern.org.uk/) are currently looking at
nutrition in hospitals, many elderly patients are malnourished due to
poor choice of food and more seriously the inability/lack of staff to
ensure that they actually eat the meals that are prepared. Sadly all
this hard work will be in vain if, when the patient returns home, they
have to resort to 'making do' with whatever they can afford, usually
not the balanced diet they need at their time of life.
The National Carers Forum has therefore set up an e-petition on the
No. 10 website to actively campaign for pensioners to be awarded extra
monies to make sure our more vulnerable members of society are given a
helping hand to eat better, fresh food to enhance their quality of
life.
The link to this campaign is : http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/freshfruitveg/
All areas of the media (press, TV, radio) have been contacted with the
above information, currently we have over 200 signatures, including a
member of the Council of the Royal Society for the Promotion of
Health. The Mature Times (http://www.maturetimes.co.uk/node/3973)
have also included this appeal in their campaign section.
We would therefore ask you to show your support for this cause by
adding your name to our petition.
Tony Rhodes, National Carers Forum
http://tonyrhodes.f.xaviermedia.com/
.
- References:
- Pensioner malnutrition campaign
- From: Campaigner
- Pensioner malnutrition campaign
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