Public health is in crisis, but it can be fixed

Since 2010 a combination of austerity, Brexit, and the impact of covid-19 has considerably worsened the public’s health in England.123 Obesity levels have risen, fuelled by the consumption of unregulated ultra-processed foods, a chronic problem which successive governments have failed to tackle.4 Gains in life expectancy have stalled.5 Health inequalities, both between and within regions, are widening.6 Growing numbers of people are unable to work because of illness.7 The UK now has one of the worst health profiles of any high income country, especially among children,8 and its deteriorating health status is adding to pressures on the NHS. To secure social conditions that support healthy populations, we need the political commitment of governments to act for the common good and their investment in institutions that protect public health.We know that ill health is tied to social determinants, and while governments alone do not shape those determinants, it is their job…
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