While the basic recommendations for a healthy lifestyle remain the same, including a healthy diet, good sleep, sufficient physical activity, and avoiding stress, the actual cost of such a lifestyle becomes increasingly high. While high-income people can afford it, many citizens struggle to satisfy their basic needs. 91% of British adults reported an increase in their cost of living in the summer of 2022, and this trend is expected to continue (Harari et al., 2022). This situation is hazardous for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the poor, and the rising cost of living in the UK only facilitates the issue.
The present cost of living crisis affects public health primarily by reducing people’s access to healthcare. A survey by the Royal College of Physicians revealed that over half of the UK citizens feel the negative effect of the high cost of living, including the inability to get to the hospital or to maintain the healthy condition of their homes (Iacobucci, 2022). These conditions put people with chronic diseases and acute conditions that require constant treatment and rapid reaction to symptoms in extreme danger, potentially increasing the number of such cases.
Another aspect of the crisis relates to the troubles in the national economy. The rapid increase in energy and food prices is expected to cause a growing number of households to experience financial troubles (Robinson, 2023). The inability to afford expensive healthy food and sufficient physical activity facilitates the current public health issues. With more people switching to a cheap diet and maintaining a sedentary lifestyle, the current obesity crisis is expected to go upward (Robinson, 2023). The resulting drop in employees’ productivity further complicates the issue (Cribb et al., 2018, p. 19). Nevertheless, it is essential to look for affordable ways of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Despite the unoptimistic trends in the rising cost of living, there are measures that a regular person can take to make their lifestyle healthier. While cheap and unhealthy food seems as a more affordable option, switching to better quality products reduces the risk of a broad range of medical conditions and associated costs in the long run. Furthermore, a reduction in ultra-processed food reduction has been shown to correlate with the decrease in mental health issues like depression and anxiety (Hecht et al., 2022). Physical activity is another simple yet effective way of maintaining physical and mental health (Jacob et al., 2020). For example, taking a walk to work or to a supermarket instead of driving a car or riding a bus can dramatically increase psychological state.
The current UK cost of living crisis undoubtedly raises concerns regarding the future of public health. The question of living a healthy life remains troubling for many citizens. While food prices stay high and governmental interventions are insufficient, some tooltips can help address the issue. Better dietary education and eating behavior, including reducing unhealthy ultra-processed food and sufficient daily physical activity, can reduce long-term healthcare costs and significantly improve physical and mental health.
References
Harari, D., Francis-Devine, B., Bolton, P., & Keep, M. (2022). Rising cost of living in the UK. London: House of Commons Library. Web.
Iacobucci, G. (2022). Rising cost of living is damaging people’s health, says royal college. BMJ, 377. Web.
Robinson, E. (2023). Obesity and the cost of living crisis. International Journal of Obesity, 47, 93–94. Web.
Cribb, J., Norris Keiller, A., & Waters, T. (2018). Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2018. Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Web.
Hecht, E., Rabil, A., Martinez Steele, E., Abrams, G., Ware, D., Landy, D., & Hennekens, C. (2022). Cross-sectional examination of ultra-processed food consumption and adverse mental health symptoms. Public Health Nutrition, 25(11), 3225–3234. Web.
Jacob, L., Tully, M. A., Barnett, Y., Lopez-Sanchez, G. F., Butler, L., Schuch, F., López-Bueno,R., McDermott, D., Firth, J., Grabovac, I., Yakkundi, A., Armstrong, N., Young, T., & Smith, L. (2020). The relationship between physical activity and mental health in a sample of the UK public: A cross-sectional study during the implementation of COVID-19 social distancing measures. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 19, 1–5. Web.