The average trip to the supermarket is costing much more than before - which means that some people have been forced to drastically cut back on their food consumption.
Many households have been hit so hard by rising food prices that they are skipping meals, a new survey reported in the Sun newspaper shows.
Barclays and children's charity NCH released a joint survey yesterday, which found that 12 percent of people have gone hungry in this way recently - a figure which goes up to 19 percent among vulnerable low-income groups.
Rising food and energy prices have been the primary drivers behind increases to the government's own inflation benchmark, the Consumer Price Index. This rate has risen to 3.8 percent on its most recent monthly reading: a full 1.8 percent above target.
In addition, recent research from pollsters ICM shows that families with two or three children have seen their food bills increase by 21 percent over the last 12 months.
Clare Tickell at NCH said: "There's no doubt that everyone is feeling the pinch and that those on the lowest incomes are suffering most. But once you get behind the headlines it’s not all doom and gloom.
"NCH supports thousands of families up and down the country. Many tell us how they are feeling the pinch at the moment and that it can be a struggle to feed themselves on the tightest of budgets."
Comments (13)
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colin syme
30th Jul 2008 21:45
I have porrage for breakfast, and baked beans for tea, If l am able, l buy reduced vegetables and make a pot of soup which lasts for two days. l have been eating like this for two months now but actually feel better on this, reduced diet. l hope to save the £200 that l will need to top up my gas budget ,----at my age keeping warm is my priority!
As an American, I can only hope the same thing happens here. Many of my countrymen could stand to skip a meal or two.
whu1969fc
30th Jul 2008 23:15
Let's be honest; most UK citizens could do with losing a bit of weight. Add to that, the fact that those on lower incomes are statistically the most obese and I believe this is perversely very good news. I await the abuse for being "un-pc" but facts are facts.
What utter rubbish, I'd love to meet one of these people 'skipping meals due to money worries'. There isn't a person in the country who can't afford to eat, sure it's not going to be anything fancy but show me a person who couldn't afford a bowl of oats for breakfast and some beans and rice for dinner.
david b2u
31st Jul 2008 17:49
Unfortunately this problem is not confined to the UK. As an Australian pensioner who had a reasonable eating habit only 5 years ago...No longer. I am afraid that living on the 'breadline' with people of the same 'convenient' outlook as Doug will lead to little improvement.
Money is not the answer , it is a cancer,people are the answer.
People organizing ,working together ,helping one another as a community. to provide for each others needs freely.
We are hurting because we have individuals that profit off the peoples needs and their hardships.
They control the resources instead of it being free to everyone.
If people weren't made to be dependent on money.
Money is not the answer , it is a cancer,people are the answer.
People organizing ,working together ,helping one another as a community. to provide for each others needs freely.
We are hurting because we have individuals that profit off the peoples needs and their hardships.
They control the resources instead of it being free to everyone.
If people weren't made to be dependent on money and had the freedom to live freely off the land ,grow their own crops and live stock.
Instaed of being dependent on others to do it for them at a price.
You would not have this mess.
money has robbed us of our freedom.
It has put a leash on it.
limiting and controling us.
Lorraine
1st Aug 2008 01:16
Well Doug, i have gone hungry for 5 days while waiting for my paycheck...and no I cannot afford rice, it was strickly "top Ramen" at 10 packs for a dollar. I sure craved veggies! Yeah, it's happening here in the good ole USA too!
I have cut back on a lot of treats and find that grains, rice and legumes are a healthy and less expensive choice.
I think the rising cost of fuel will in the end prove to have many benefits to people's health and environmental conditions.
MICKEYBLUEFRIES
1st Aug 2008 02:47
Get a job you worthless, stick-thin, lazy good-for-nothings. Even on the minimum wage you can afford to eat meat and vegies every night. Stop drinking so much and give up the cigarettes and perhaps you'll have some money to buy food you bums.
In response to some of these comments I doubt an increase in food prices will help decrease obesity. In fact, there is a direct link between poverty and obesity. Junky, fatty, preservative-filled foods tend to have higher amounts of fats, calories and a lower price to boot than the more "healthy" options enjoyed by the higher income crowd who shop at Whole Foods. Also, if you skip meals you're more than likely doing your body and your metabolism harm as your body when in starvation mode will actually store fat and eat away at muscle.
props to mike and thomas for deep insight i love when people say it for me
if companies paied wages to employees weekly maybe it would be easer for some people to cope better waiting a month for your wages is a long time for some people
