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Comment by altacc | Hacker News Reader

This is politics, so not really HN content, but it is great news and should be nation wide and more common across the globe.

Studies, including the UK government's own study (from the last government) showed that there was significant improvement in attainment for pupils from lower income backgrounds and also general health improvements. For about £400 per pupil per year you can create significant benefits for children and therefore future adults.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/... https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/0...

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Aren't you concerned that there are people having children who refuse to feed them?

> For about £400 per pupil per year you can create significant benefits for children and therefore future adults

Parents used to feed their children when I grew up. What's changed? And if that's the case why is childhood obesity soaring in the same areas that so desperately need money to feed children?

There are over 10million school age children. So your very conservative estimate of £400 is £4bn that has to be found year on year.

> Parents used to feed their children when I grew up. What's changed? And if that's the case why is childhood obesity soaring in the same areas that so desperately need money to feed children?

Fast food is now a fraction of the cost of healthy food.

Cost of living has been steadily increasing (and more recently, more suddenly increasing) while wages have remained stagnant. Home ownership rates have declined, resulting in more people paying to keep a roof over their head instead of investing in their own future equity. Instead of having any security to support their families, they’re paying significant %s more in prepay utility services.

> Fast food is now a fraction of the cost of healthy food.

So are they feeding them fast food or not?

> Fast food is now a fraction of the cost of healthy food.

No it isn't. If you would like to discuss specifically that I'm more than happy to demonstrate.

So your argument is these starving children are victims of cheap ultra high calorie fattening food and so need free food to stop them from hunger?

> Home ownership rates have declined, resulting in more people paying to keep a roof over their head instead of investing in their own future equity.

Spinning easily disproved tropes of victimhood. Over the timescale claimed you are saying that people are being forced out of homes?

> Parents used to feed their children when I grew up. What's changed?

Nothing, you probably just lived in your bubble. Kids have a very narrow view of what reality is

Poverty has been linked to obesity for a while now, feel free to google it. It's a form of malnutrition, not a form of food abundance, poverty doesn't mean you can't buy food, it means you probably are more prone to looking for a quick feel good food because the rest of your existence isn't very fulfilling, it means you probably don't have a fully equipped kitchen, it means you can't afford fresh food, it means you're more likely to buy processed food of dubious nutritional value, &c.

> £4bn that has to be found year on year.

That's not even 10% of your military budget. Building a strong and healthy population should be high on the list of priorities, the saving in term of public health would more than pay for it

> That's not even 10% of your military budget.

Why do you consider it a reasonable argument that more money can be spent on something because some money is spent on something else. Why stop there. Arbitrary amounts of money for every cause. Why not have government feed all the population. Like Cuba hand out beans and rice to the population.

Yes why not?

Ah. I see. We will soon spend £200bn pa on the NHS. Just spend another £200bn on it.

Why not?

I was responding to the free food for all, that sounds pretty good to me, checks the moral and ethical boxes (let me just double check...yup that seems right). It doesn't viscerally offend me, maybe I should see a doctor?

Paid for by?

The doctor? The government, atleast where I'm from. I may actually go see him tomorrow

This isn't about "school-age" children; it's about primary pupils. That's under-11s. We're not talking about feeding hulking 17-year-olds.

Does a child stop being hungry when they turn 13? I thought they were starving to death up until aged 11/12?

People browsing this thread finding appalling comments - it’s not a pattern, it’s just this one person.

Care to elaborate?

It would be much better if everyone had a better income and work/life balance in order to be able to feed, house, clothe and raise their children well but that is not the reality of the situation or where the current political and economics climate in the UK is leading, it is quite the opposite.

I know people who work full time and yet can only afford to have their heating on for 1 or 2 hours a day in winter and have a very tight budget for groceries. There are people who have to choose between heating and eating. Ensuring that children eat at least one good meal a day is an easier & quicker fix than the systemic and governmental change that the UK needs to solve this problem the other way.

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