Low income diet survey published

Sunday 15 July 2007

The gap between the diets of people on low incomes and those of the rest of the population is not as wide as some feared, according to research just published by the Food Standards Agency.

The findings suggest that the dietary pattern of people on low incomes is the same as that of the general population, although in some aspects it is slightly less healthy.

Before this survey, there had been some concerns that the diets of this population group were extremely poor and that factors such as restricted access to choice and a lack of confidence in cooking skills were preventing people from eating healthily.

However, the Agency study did not identify any direct link between dietary patterns and income, food access or cooking skills.

The diet-related problems found to affect people on low incomes are in general much the same as those facing the population as a whole, including:

• not eating enough fruit and vegetables
• not eating enough oily fish
• consumption of too much saturated fat and sugar

Levels of obesity were also found to be very high – 62% of men, 63% of women, 35% of boys and 34% of girls were overweight or obese, which mirrors the high levels within the general UK population.

The comprehensive survey, involving more than 3,500 people and carried out over 15 months, looked at the dietary habits and nutritional status of the low income population.

It was commissioned by the FSA to further inform its and other Government departments’ work in the area of diet and nutrition among low income groups.

Food Standards Agency Head of Nutrition Rosemary Hignett said: ‘The encouraging news from this research is that the gap between the diets of people on low incomes and those of the rest of the population is not as big as some feared.

‘It is also positive that most people in this group are confident about their cooking skills, have reasonable kitchen facilities and access to large supermarkets.

‘However, the bad news is that this group – like the general population – are not eating as healthily as they could be. Poor diets can lead to chronic disease, such as heart disease and cancer, and contribute to obesity, which is on the rise. Small changes to diet can make a big difference to health so we urge everyone to think about the food that they and their family are eating.’

The research found:

• the low income population were less likely to eat wholemeal bread, but drank more sugary drinks and consumed more table sugar
• less than 10% of respondents ate the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day – with about 20% eating less than 1 portion
• less than a quarter of people ate oily fish during the survey period
• adults are getting 13.4% of their energy from saturated fat, which exceeds the ‘no more than 11%’ recommendation
• 51% of men and 69% of women fell short of the minimum recommended intake of dietary fibre (12g)
• 65% of children had a non-diet fizzy drink during the 4-day survey period
• about two-thirds of men and women had cholesterol levels at levels associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease (above 5mmol/l)
• average daily intakes of all vitamins (apart from A and D) were above or close to the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) for all sex and age groups; the RNI is the amount sufficient, or more than sufficient, for about 97% of people

The survey also looked at other lifestyle-related factors, including alcohol consumption, smoking and exercise. It found higher levels of smoking and alcohol consumption, together with lower levels of activity within this low income group.

The Agency will use the evidence from this study in the development of its diet and nutrition policy.