The Italian Renaissance, COVID-19 and Childhood Obesity
By Louis Bedwell
In 1630 when the plague hit Northern Italy, it killed 35% of the population and sparked the Italian Renaissance. The event led to a slowdown in economic inequality and what followed was an increase in wages and uptick in affordable housing. The country bounced back with remarkable social mobility to become Europe's premier centre of artistic, cultural, scientific, and creative development. There are numerous examples of pandemics being a leveling force for society, so why in 2020 has it driven us further apart?
While we won't answer this question now, the pandemic's impact has shown just how intertwined our economy is with the population's health. It has also shown that we cannot improve health without first tackling inequality.
Forty years ago, just 1% of UK children were classed as obese, which has now risen to 8% in boys, 5% in girls. As food systems have evolved, the modern-day societal gap and iniquities of these systems have developed too.
London now has a higher number of overweight and obese children than any other major global city leading to well documented social, health, and economic consequences. For every £1 spent on food in the UK, a hidden cost of £1 is incurred by the health industry and environment. Nothing in our economy matters more than food - it is vital for life and is the glue that holds modern communities together.
To quote directly from a recent Guardian article by Kenan Malik, "the reason poor people eat junk food is not because they are ignorant or lack middle-class virtues. It's because of the circumstances of their lives." I couldn't have put it better myself. Malik says "If we want healthier diets, we need not lectures on healthy eating but a serious attack on poverty."
We know that there's a link between postcode and poverty, and therefore the likelihood of a person experiencing poor health. This is most evident in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, where our partners, Guy's and St Thomas' Charity, focus their work. For example, 10% of children from Dulwich Village (an area of lower deprivation) are classed as overweight or obese. In contrast, in areas of higher deprivation, such as Camberwell Green, the measure rises to 33%.
The London Obesity Corridor; Left map: Prevalence of obesity among children in Year 6 (age 10–11 years) — 2013/14 to 2015/16 // Right map: Median Household income estimate (2012/13)
But even before COVID-19, we knew that the food and drink options families had access to were shaped dramatically by where they lived. Our diets are shaped by the food that's available to us as a nation. Most of that food comes from supermarkets.
Supermarkets present a highly competitive environment where healthier, more often expensive, options are pushed to the background. Families are frequently left unable to afford or even find healthier alternatives. This may change, thanks to stricter promotional and marketing restrictions put in place by the new UK Government obesity strategy. Many will argue that fresh fruit and vegetables are both affordable and accessible in a supermarket. However, research shows that many families, especially in urban cities, lack access to basic cooking and storage facilities.
Based on these factors, it's safe to say that there is a growing demand for healthier food and drink options that are tasty, convenient, and accessible. This means these choices must be easy to understand, easy to buy, and cheaper to purchase. However, we must be realistic about our goals. This shouldn't be a race to the bottom on price. Our collective, slow upward drive for better food standards can be weakened by a fatal combination of post-Brexit trade deals and fantasies about cheaper food. Cheaper food likely means cheaper labour, which will do nothing to fix the root cause.
Instead, the food and drink industry has a responsibility to take action, supporting, and growing brands that start with accessibility in mind. These brands need to be financially sustainable and profitable. They do not victim-blame or stigmatise families for their diet choices and, by doing so, will attract more commercial funding to scale. The investment case is strong as long term investors are exposed to poor health, which plays out in workforce shortages, rising healthcare costs, and reputational risk.
At Mission Ventures, we're starting with the goal in mind and are building sustainable, profitable, and healthier companies via the Good Food Fund. Recently, in Big Food we've seen changes too, with the re-launch of the once 'hated' Turkey Twizzler. While the jury is still out on their nutritional qualities, it's an example of a big food manufacturer responding to market force and reformulating for the better.
The government’s controversial decision to close down Public Health England now raises a valid question, “Who is responsible for executing the new obesity strategy?”. Despite, less than a month ago, our Prime Minister claiming that the strategy led by PHE was a crucial step required to improve the health of the nation, there has been an ongoing failure to provide leadership on this issue. To tackle the problem at hand, private companies, retailers, investors, and policymakers must work collaboratively with definite goals. This positive action is now needed more than ever. It will not be easy and will take time. Still, it is a necessary step in creating a healthier and more equal society.
- Louis Bedwell, Head of Operations at Mission Ventures