Living conditions - food
Technological and social developments have made the food supply more reliable. Additionally, people’s diets have improved despite extensive The limited supply of food and materials during the War, shared equally among everyone. during World War Two. However, new problems linked to diet have emerged.
British rationing books used during World War Two from 1941 and 1948
Food supply
Improvements
- New methods of grinding grain improved the quality of bread.
- Refrigeration meant that more food could be brought in from abroad, such as lamb from New Zealand.
- Cheaper and longer-lasting canned foods became more widely available.
- Large supermarket chains opened up. They were open every day and stocked food more reliably than markets.
Problems
- During World War Two, Britain’s food supply was disrupted and rationing was introduced. This restricted people’s access to food.
- Goods such as imported fruit and sweets were not readily available during this period.
Diet
Improvements
- Rationing actually improved people’s diet because they were encouraged to keep animals and grow their own food. At the same time, items like sugar and butter were in short supply. While rationing was in place diets were generally healthier and more balanced.
- The nation became wealthier on the whole and more people could afford fridges and freezers. These allowed people to keep food fresher for longer.
Problems
- The invention of the microwave and increases in the number of working parents have led to more families and individuals using ready-made meals or convenience food. These processed dishes are not as healthy as fresh food because they have additives so that they last longer. People’s diets now contain more calories, sugar and saturated fats. In 2013, almost a quarter of the British population were classified as obese. The medical term for being very overweight, owing to the excessive accumulation of body fat. can cause serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.
- In 1996, Short for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a fatal infectious disease in cows that can be passed to humans who eat the meat of infected cows. (also known as mad cow disease) affected cattle. It was discovered that the disease could pass to humans if they ate beef from an infected animal. This created a health scare.
- People have also become more concerned about the impact of modern farming methods on food. For example, Substances that control the spread of bacteria in the body by killing them or stopping them reproducing. are routinely given to farm animals. Eating their meat could mean that human bodies become resistant to antibiotics. The use of chemicals on crops could also be harmful.
- In the early 20th century, many children suffered from A disease caused by lack of vitamin D in the diet. Symptoms include soft and deformed leg bones., which is a bone disease caused by lack of vitamin D. This was generally because they had a poor diet and lived in dark houses and An area of ground surrounded by one or more buildings. where there was a lack of sunlight. In 2014, a report was published which said that cases of rickets were rising again, this time as a result of children eating too much processed food and spending too much time indoors.
