The "indelible mark" that exposure to hunger leaves on children

"It should not be like that," she says now, remembering. "Children should not worry about their parents like that."

Today, his biggest concern is not that his physical health suffers, but the mental health of his children. What psychological scars were left after seeing their mother starve?

It's in a charity that has helped locals find employment that someone first mentioned the term "food bank" in Wright. Food banks, which distribute free food to people in need, have become more and more common. But she hesitated at this idea. She was terrified that if she asked for help from a food bank, social services would take her children.

So Wright made a plan. She would rather apply for a volunteer at the food bank. "It felt a little better," she says, "whether it's a bit of a job."

In the early days, she felt clumsy and out of place. But then, one of the workers, Kelly Donaldson, took her under his wing. From time to time, Donaldson prepared a small packet of food for his new friend at the end of the day. "It's your supper for tonight," she said to Wright with encouragement as she handed him the bag.

The signs are multiplying: more and more children from rich countries are suffering from hunger and its negative effects. Recently, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights criticized the British government for the scenes of poverty he had witnessed during a trip to the United Kingdom . The extent of child poverty in the United Kingdom was, he said, "not only a shame, but also a social calamity and an economic disaster".

"Children arrive at school, empty stomach, and schools collect food on an ad hoc basis and send them home because teachers know that their students will be hungry otherwise," he said. -he declares.

All the British food bank workers I'm talking to talk about a significant increase in demand over the last year. One of the reasons given is the modification and reduction of benefits, especially the new universal credit system, which can lead to differences in payments, which prevents people from paying for the essentials.

The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health and the Trussell Trust are among those who are concerned about the effects of food insecurity on children's health. But what exactly would these effects be?

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In a phone call to Valerie Tarasuk of the University of Toronto, I mention Kerry Wright's concern about the mental well-being of his children.

"That's exactly what we need to worry about," says Tarasuk.

Tarasuk is a professor of nutrition sciences and a specialist in the relationship between food insecurity and health. She is also following research that explores the long-term effects on children living in food-insecure households.

Studies conducted by a team at the University of Calgary, including Sharon Kirkpatrick and Lynn McIntyre, showed that just a few hungry hunger was associated with poorer physical and mental health. It also means that children are less likely to finish school.

In a six-year study, McIntyre and his colleagues found that hungry youth had a much higher risk of developing depressive symptoms. The researchers wrote that hunger has a "toxic" effect: "Higher risks of chronic diseases and asthma were observed among young people who had experienced several episodes of hunger compared to those who had not. never go hungry. "

These results have held up even when other factors likely to influence health have been taken into account – hunger actually seems to play a determining role.

"The exposure of children leaves an indelible mark on them," says Tarasuk. "It's really a bad idea to let so many people languish in this situation."

In the United Kingdom, it is difficult to obtain long-term data such as those used by Tarasuk and his colleagues. However, efforts are being made to expand our knowledge of the relationship between food insecurity and health.

A major research effort led by King's College London is currently underway in two large southern boroughs of the capital, Lambeth and Southwark. It is led by Ingrid Wolfe, also pediatric consultant. She explained that her motivation to participate in the study was partly motivated by the fact that more and more adolescents admitted to the emergency department were suffering from seizures due to vitamin deficiencies. "Extremely serious malnutrition," she says.

The Partnership for Child and Youth Health is Wolfe's and colleagues' attempt to understand what's going on in a young person's life may have influenced the situation that brings it to the doctor.

The team initially focuses on youth with one of four conditions: "tracer": eczema, constipation, asthma and epilepsy. Of the first 1,000 participants with one of four screening conditions, food insecurity became a concern in 90% of cases.

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In a home where parents or guardians depend on cheaper foods, the diet may become less balanced and the intake of micronutrients will therefore decrease. Some of the first deficiencies that may appear include iron deficiency – as Kerry Wright notes – as well as vitamin A and iodine deficiency. Iodine – abundant in white fish and dairy products – is especially important for brain development.

A diet high in sugar can also cause dental problems. Between 2013 and 2018, multi-tooth extractions in the under-18 age group in England increased by 18%. This is also associated with food insecurity: dental caries are more common in disadvantaged areas.

And do not forget about obesity. The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health says that obesity is correlated to deprivation. "In England, it seems that overweight and obesity may decrease over time among the less disadvantaged, but not among the most disadvantaged."

The improvement of diets can only be done by food banks. But there is another way – a so-called "person-centered approach".

"I like talking to people," Sheena Boyd says with a big smile. "You'll have understood from here the end of the day." She laughs heartily. She is a project manager for a charity called Centrestage, based in southwest Glasgow.

When Centrestage was launched 13 years ago, its founders wanted to provide a theater troupe for the locals. The idea was to make big shows with a little more buzz and spice than is possible for school theater departments, for example. In addition, no one could participate, regardless of age or background.

Only when leaders started working more closely with local communities did they realize that food insecurity was such a problem. If you are hungry, you will not be able to play in front of hundreds of people or work for hours behind the scenes.

Centrestage continues to feature community programming, but belly filling is now a key goal. The group's slogan is "Fun, food, folk".

The Centrestage On the Road project is a bus that runs and prepares meals. But before I see the bus, I have to attend the kitchen, which produces thousands of dishes each week, says Boyd.

We arrive at a large gray warehouse located in an industrial area. But when the door beeps when we enter the Centrestage unit, the smell of cooking gives colors. Heads hurry, wearing black and comfortable walking shoes, with pitchers of different mixes or huge trays for ovens.

The portions of food cooked here are given to the people of the places Centrestage. I try it later: pasta with roasted vegetables, a tasty sauce and cheese sprinkled with dusting. A really nice meal. Also available that day was Paneer Curry with rice and jars of red pepper soup.

It's a short drive from kitchens to the bus. The double-decker bus is parked and, even on a cold November day, the local population is gathered, sitting outside and eating something or just chatting.

At the top level of the bus, there is a soft play area where parents can bring their children. I meet two mothers here, each with a girl who avidly uses the playground. One of the women explains that she has osteoarthritis on her wrist. It is not always easy to cook at home. Despite this, she never wanted to use a food bank.

"I did not really want to take anything on the bus," she says. "Then I heard that it was not a food bank."

As the bus driver says, food banks often ask for vouchers – or "chitties" – before distributing supplies. "Nae chitties here," he says. Volunteers will be happy to distribute food for free, although they ask if people can try to make a small donation.

In any case, nobody is turned away. Between July and September 2018, adults received food nearly 6,000 times and children about 2,200 times.

Hunger can quickly affect people's health, but that's never enough. Thus, in addition to cheap meals and cooking workshops, Centrestage staff and volunteers aim to help you with benefit forms, housing requests or employment issues. As Boyd says, "We can say," Well, what's going on? We can help you in any other way. "

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For Wright, it was working for a charity in the food industry that really got it back on track. No access to free food. Today, she expresses a real zeal for the work she is doing. She now works 29 hours a week at the CFINE Food Bank, in central Aberdeen. She finally has a regular income. This year, she says, she will not be in debt for the first time in a long time. The physical health of his children is good. They became more active. Now they play sports and one goes to cadets.

And when I meet her at CFINE, I get the impression that Wright, like her friend Kelly Donaldson, has found a role that has not only helped her here and now, it's something she can build on .

Donaldson points out how much happier Wright is now. She gets up every day. The makeup. Go to work. It makes a huge difference – for the whole household.

"That's the case," Wright says. "It has an impact on your children."