GPs issue warning over cheap processed food as more people end up in hospital over lack of vitamins Cheap processed food has been linked to a surge in hospitalisations for health problems caused by a lack of essential vitamins.
Prof Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: "We have seen fresh, healthier foods spike in price over the last few years, making a nutritious diet increasingly unaffordable for some, while 'fast foods' are cheap, are filling and easy to access, but are low in nutritious content.
New NHS data reveals a dramatic rise in people with a main diagnosis of anaemia - caused by lack of iron - and B vitamin deficiencies.
GPs are warning that for families on low incomes, processed foods high in sugar, salt and additives are now often cheaper than fresh meat, fruit and vegetables.
During 2023/24 there were 191,927 hospital admissions in England where the main reason was a lack of iron, up 11% on the previous year's 173,227.
