BDA News
13 December 2011
The Public Urged to Help Battle Malnutrition in the UK this Christmas
Sadly, for many older people living on their own in the UK, it’s that time of year again when they close their front doors at Christmas not to see or talk to another person for a couple of weeks, or maybe longer, when the country beds down for the festive season.
This year, the British Dietetic Association (BDA), as part of their Mind the Hunger Gap campaign (www.mindthehungergap.com), is calling on the British public to take action to make sure their older friends, relatives and neighbours do not go un-noticed and hungry this Christmas.
Families across the UK will enjoy a Christmas full of fun, joy and food this year, but around one million older people living in their own homes will carry on going hungry this season, as they do every single day of the year.
The BDA is urging members of the public to kindly take some time over the holiday period to drop in on older friends, family members and neighbours just to check they are okay and maybe, when they are cooking, cook a little extra to take with them to ensure they eat a good hearty meal. The BDA has just launched a campaign called Mind the Hunger Gap, which aims to highlight malnutrition levels in older people living in their own homes or, sadly as they have become known, the ‘invisible’ population.
Mind the Hunger Gap aims to highlight the national disgrace that conservatively estimated involves around 1,000,000 (one million) older people in the UK eating less than one square meal a day. This figure does not include those older people in a hospital or care setting, it is those older people living in our community.
Malnutrition does not discriminate and impacts on people regardless of age, gender or race.
Speaking about Mind the Hunger Gap and the pending festive holiday, Helen Davidson, Honorary Chairman of the BDA, said:
“The Christmas period can be very hard for many older people living on their own in this country. In addition to the understandable feelings of loneliness and isolation, among this group are one million older people going hungry. Winter time can also make this situation even worse with many older people making the stark choice between keeping warm in their home or eating – fuel versus food.
“Many older people suffer in complete silence and are often too proud to ask for help. I would urge as many people as possible to spare a little time over the Christmas holiday to drop in on friends, family members and neighbours to say hello and maybe take them a festive meal to enjoy.”
For the first time, the BDA has launched Mind the Hunger Gap as an online-based campaign and dietitians and members of the public are directed to the campaign website (www.mindthehungergap.com) to download various materials and campaign tools to highlight the issue locally, while the BDA will raise the issue on a national level. Importantly, there is also an online check list for those worried that their friends, family members or neighbours may be suffering from malnutrition.
ENDS
www.bda.uk.com - website
www.twitter.com/#!/BrDieteticAssoc - twitter
www.facebook.com/BritishDieteticAssociation - facebook
| For more information / interview requests, please contact the BDA Press Office on 0870 850 2517 |
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Notes to the Editor:
Mind the Hunger Gap Facts & Figures
More than 3 million people in the UK are at risk of malnutrition with the vast majority, about 93%, living in the community setting, 5% in residential care and 2% in hospital
One million older people in the United Kingdom eat less than one meal a day.
Greater use of healthcare and costs associated with malnutrition mean:
- 65% more GP visits;
- 82% more hospital admissions;
- 30% longer hospital stay.
The health and social care costs in the United Kingdom directly associated with malnutrition comes to more than £13 billion per annum (based on 2007 prices).
Problems associated with malnutrition include:
- Poorer immune responses, meaning the likelihood of infections and ill health is greatly increased.
- Reduced muscle strength.
- Weaker respiratory (breathing) muscles, which result in breathing problems and frequent chest infections.
- More difficulty keeping warm.
- Slower wound healing and longer time needed to recover from Illness.
- Low mood, little interest in everyday activities and self neglect.
- Increased amount of admissions and readmissions to hospital, and longer time spent on each admission.
In the fight against malnutrition, dietitians should:
- Provide specialised dietary advice.
- Be involved in the early stages once a patient has been screened.
- Be an integral member of the secondary and primary care teams.
- Help devise and implement effective nutrition policy locally.
- Take a lead in the coordinating a nutrition steering committee/group in the hospital and community environment to ensure provision of appropriate nutritional management, care pathways and monitoring happens.
- Offer appropriate nutrition advice on an individual/group level.
- Train and support other healthcare professionals on how to identify risk of malnutrition.
- Assess an individual’s nutritional/dietary requirements.
- Contribute to delivering cost effective services.
About the BDA
- Visit the BDA website at www.bda.uk.com
- The British Dietetic Association, founded in 1936, is the professional association for registered dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals with over 6,000 members.
- Registered dietitians are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems at an individual and wider public health level. Uniquely, dietitians use the most up to date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease, which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.
- Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be statutorily regulated, and governed by an ethical code, to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. Dietitians work in the NHS, private practice, industry, education, research, sport, media, public relations, publishing, Non Government Organisations and government. Their advice influences food and health policy across the spectrum from government, local communities and individuals.
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