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Policy initiatives to address low-income households’ nutritional needs in the UK

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Dowler, Elizabeth, 1951-. (2008) Policy initiatives to address low-income households’ nutritional needs in the UK. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, Vol.67 (No.3). pp. 289-300. ISSN 0029-6651

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0029665108008586

Abstract

Members of low-income households in the UK are more likely to have patterns of food and nutrient intakes that are less inclined to lead to good health outcomes in the short and long term. Health inequalities, including the likelihood of child and adulthood obesity, have long been documented in the UK and show little sign of improving so far, despite 10 years of attention from a government that has committed itself to addressing them. Following the Acheson Inquiry into Inequalities in Health (1998) in England a number of initiatives to tackle inequalities in food and diet were established, both nationally and within the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, until recently, there has been no overall strategic policy addressing the food and nutritional needs of low-income households. The present paper reviews how the problems have been constructed and understood and how they have been addressed, briefly drawing on recent evaluations of food and nutrition policies in Scotland and Wales. The contemporary challenge is to frame cross-cutting policy initiatives that move beyond simple targeting and local actions, encompass a life-course approach and recognise both the diversity of households that fall into ‘low-income’ categories and the need for ‘upstream’ intervention.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Alternative Title:	Symposium on ‘Intervention policies for deprived households’: policy initiatives to address low-income households' nutritional needs in the UK
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Food -- Great Britain, Nutrition -- Requirements -- Great Britain, Low-income consumers -- Great Britain, Great Britain -- Economic policy -- 1997-
Journal or Publication Title:	Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	0029-6651
Date:	August 2008
Volume:	Vol.67
Number:	No.3
Page Range:	pp. 289-300
Identification Number:	10.1017/S0029665108008586
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	Great Britain. Food Standards Agency (FSA)
Version or Related Resource:	Earlier version: Dowler, E. (2007). Policy initiatives to address low-income households’ nutritional needs in the UK. In: 3rd Congress of the Societe-Francaise-de-Nutrition, Lille, France, 06-07 December 2007.
Related URLs:	Related item in WRAP
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/2299