Can Changing Your Diet Save Our Failing Health Systems?

Health Systems across the world are experiencing a staffing crisis. Discover how changing our diet could help alleviate pressure on struggling hospitals and why it’s easier said than done.

During my time as a manager within a UK hospital, recruitment was a significant part of my role. At times, it really did feel like an uphill task. It was not uncommon for jobs to be advertised and then readvertised multiple times following unsuccessful recruitment rounds. This lack of staffing in health services inevitably impacts our access to care.

Staffing Shortages in Healthcare

Staff shortages in the UK’s NHS are nothing new, but the problem is growing. According to the recently published NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, local services report 112,000 vacancies. Without action to address this, there will be a shortfall of between 260,000 and 360,000 by 2036/37.¹ 

This medical staffing crisis is a global problem. The World Health Organisation estimates a global shortage of health workers of 10 million people by 2030.²  In 2020, the European Commission reported a shortfall in medical staff in nearly every European country. But the UK is particularly affected, sitting below the global average of nurses and medics per inhabitant.¹

We are feeling the effects of this staffing crisis. In November/December 2023, 6.39 million people in the UK were waiting for consultant-led elective care, and staff shortages are undermining attempts to reduce the backlog as waiting lists continue to grow.³ The UK’s independent health and social care regulator, the Care Quality Commission, also attributed staff shortages to an increased risk of harm to people needing urgent care.⁴   

With global healthcare services struggling to keep up with sick patients, it is now more important than ever that the public take practical steps to reduce the likelihood of developing chronic diseases. One of these essential steps is being mindful of what we put into our bodies. 

Obstacles to a healthy diet

What we eat might be a key part of reducing illness - but it’s worth remembering there are significant barriers to improving our health through a change in diet. For a start, healthy food is - on average - twice as expensive as less healthy food per calorie, meaning that low-income families may not have the financial means to buy nutritious food.⁵ Additionally, there are costs to eating well. An estimated 1.9 million people in the UK live without a cooker, 2.8 million without a freezer and 900,000 without a fridge.⁶ It is, therefore, easy to understand why the relatively cheap, convenient, but generally nutritionally deficient takeaway market is so popular. The rapid rise in food prices and the increased cost of living throughout the last year will have only worsened these issues. The food industry also poses an obstacle to a healthier diet. Food companies recognise that we naturally prefer calorie-dense foods and, therefore, invest more time and money into producing and marketing these food types. Consequently, we eat more of them. In turn, the market for unhealthy processed food expands further in a process called “The Junk Food Cycle”.⁶

Discover more in our guide to ultra-processed foods

At the same time, many vulnerable people live in “food deserts” - where it is difficult to access healthy and fresh food. If the only place you can buy your dinner is at a corner shop - your healthy choices are inevitably limited. 

But what exactly is a healthy diet?’

We are continuously exposed to different diets, all claiming positive health benefits. Vegan, Mediterranean, Paleo and Low Carb Diets are to name but a few. But for many people, this is part of the problem. There are so many different messages out there that navigating the food market in search of the ‘best’ diet is difficult. Besides, the idea of one optimal diet is probably a myth. Due to a combination of genes, body types, lifestyles, gut microbiomes and more, we all react differently to food, and no “correct diet” will suit every person.⁷  

The idea of one optimal diet is probably a myth. Due to a combination of genes, body types, lifestyles, gut microbiomes and more, we all react differently to food, and no “correct diet” will suit every person.

Studies have typically shown that eating a variety of plants such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains forms the basis of a healthy diet.^8,9 We can choose those plants depending on what we like and what’s available. A healthy diet could also include limited eggs, meat and dairy but probably wouldn’t have high amounts of red meat, sugars, salts, or processed foods.

We need fibre (think whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables) to help us feel full and protect us from conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney disease.^10,11 And fat - once the “bad guy” - is an essential part of health, thanks to its role in stabilising heart rhythms, easing inflammation, and supporting healthy cholesterol. But it’s the unsaturated fats we want more of - from nuts, seeds, avocados or fish.^12,13

These suggestions are helpful guidelines to live by, but everyone’s needs and circumstances will differ - so we don’t need to get too hung up on a specific “miracle diet”. 

Read more about Blue Zones and the myth of perfect diets

What happens when we don’t eat a healthy diet?

Despite the systematic challenges, adopting a healthy diet is one of the most effective ways to take control of our health. It reduces the likelihood of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.¹⁴  On a global scale, poor diet is linked to 22% of deaths - mostly from cardiovascular disease.^15,16

On a global scale, poor diet is linked to 22% of deaths - mostly from cardiovascular disease.

Diet and cardiovascular disease

In the UK, around 7.6 million people are living with a heart or circulatory disease, and there are approximately 100,000 hospital admissions every year caused by a heart attack; that’s one every 5 minutes.¹⁷ But elsewhere in Europe, particularly in the eastern European countries, heart health is significantly worse.

Dietary habits affect blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, inflammation, and endothelial function, all contributing to overall cardiovascular health. Studies have shown that fruit and vegetables have a ‘protective effect’ on cardiovascular disease, whilst avoiding trans fats and consuming whole grains reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (aka. “bad” cholesterol).¹⁸

Diet and Diabetes

In 2023, 61 million people in Europe were living with diabetes. 95% of diagnoses are of type 2 diabetes, which has been closely linked to diet. The good news is around half the cases of type 2 diabetes can either be prevented or delayed by making dietary changes, increasing physical activity, and losing weight.¹⁹ For those who have diabetes, assuming a weight-loss diet may also lead to diabetes remission.²⁰ (But whether or not weight loss diets can be sustained in the long run is a whole other story.)

Around half the cases of type 2 diabetes can either be prevented or delayed by making dietary changes, increasing physical activity, and losing weight.

Eating must be enjoyable to be truly sustainable

It is important to recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all diet to follow. And for a diet to be sustainable, it must be enjoyable. If a plant-based diet isn’t enjoyable to you, try making small adjustments rather than completely transforming what you eat in a day. Can a meal be served with a side of vegetables, or can you add a portion of spinach to your favourite chicken curry? Small changes have the potential to make a big difference. And instead of depriving yourself of the foods you’re used to, it can be helpful to slowly “crowd out” the less healthy choices by adding more and more fresh food to your diet until your tastes naturally change.

Eating a healthy diet is not easy - thanks to structural and financial factors we can’t always control. But it’s also true that changing our diets, no matter how long it takes to get there, can help us live significantly longer and healthier lives. And in the face of a global health system crisis - every step we can take towards good health matters.