Inflation is running high around the globe, largely fuelled by Russia’s war in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic. As a result, many households are having to choose between eating and heating.
Deprivation has a terrible immediate effect on children – as anyone who has experienced real hunger knows – but it can also affect things like impulsive behaviour in later life.
“Trait impulsivity”, the preference for immediate gratification, has been linked to spending more on food, especially unhealthy, highly calorific food. Studies have shown that children who experience poverty and food insecurity tend to have a higher body-mass index as adults than those who do not.
