The surprising benefits of food rationing | Letters
Source: Guardian Health ↗
Among the hardships of the second world war, a restricted diet with little sugar did little harm, write Roger Wilkinson and Helen Keats; plus a letter from Jane Robbins An interesting juxtaposition: (While British children go hungry, we waste 1.1bn meals a year.
Bring on the redistribution revolution, 6 October); and (The generation raised on sugar rations – and what their health reveals 70 years later, 7 October).
Shocking that the average family throws away 156 meals a year, but this knowledge.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Global supply chains might feel a slight tremor as businesses adjust.
- ▶Global boardrooms tend to take notice when this kind of news surfaces.
🏙️Local Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Family budgets close to home might absorb a slight, slow-moving effect.
- ▶Your local economy has a way of catching these currents eventually.
🏦Rates & Bankslow impact
What this means for you
- ▶The cost of borrowing tends to shift gradually rather than in one leap.
- ▶Savings rates can lag behind this kind of news by weeks, not days.
❤️Healthlow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Community health workers may see extra questions in the days ahead.
- ▶Trusted medical advice usually beats speculation when health news breaks.
💷Wealthhigh impact
What this means for you
- ▶Staying well is its own kind of saving.
- ▶A modest emergency fund can cushion any health-related costs.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Bricks and mortar tend to hold steady while other markets swing about.
- ▶Anyone mid-purchase might want to keep an eye on how this unfolds.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 0.8% with inflation at 3.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.9% with inflation at 1.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 7.9%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at 0.7% with inflation at 7.8%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at 3.1% with inflation at 2.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.