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Make hunger history: the Right to Food UK Commission needs your evidence

Right to Food London has aligned with the Right To Food UK Parliamentary Commission. The aim is to compile a report of evidence by September 2026, to present to the government to advocate for the recognition of the human right to food in legislation, so we can end hunger by 2035.[1]

The commission is currently holding assemblies around the UK to gather evidence from communities and health professionals on the scale and scope of food insecurity throughout the UK – and we would love to hear from NHD readers.

New British Medical Association report: improving the nation’s diet: the impact of ultra-processed food

In England alone, 10.5% of children starting primary school are classed as obese, rising to 22% per cent by the time they are leaving primary school. This tracks into adulthood, with more than 64% of adults aged over 18 years estimated to be overweight or living with obesity.

A new BMA report, Improving the nation’s diet: the impact of ultra-processed food, examines the consequences of harmful dietary patterns, including rising consumption of

A traditional diet could be key to combating the rise of type 2 diabetes, researchers say

Until recently, type 2 diabetes was rare in Nepal. Nepalese people, along with other Asian and indigenous peoples, are genetically predisposed to type 2 diabetes. Yet, the disease only emerged after energy-dense processed foods were introduced to the country and people started to gain weight.  Now, the country has a high prevalence of the disease, and its disabling complications, and medication-based diabetes treatments are unaffordable for most.

An international team of researchers, led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal, is investigating whether reverting to a traditional diet could help to reduce the growing number of people with type 2 diabetes in Nepal. Researchers hope their data will support low-cost community interventions for type-2 diabetes in other countries around the world.

Less sugar in the first 1000 days of life may mean a stronger, longer-lasting heart decades later

Limiting sugar consumption during early childhood may reduce the risk of serious heart problems later in life. A study published in The BMJ, based on data from the end of sugar rationing in the United Kingdom in 1953, found that people who consumed less sugar early on were less likely to develop conditions such as heart attack, heart failure, and stroke as adults.

The strongest protective effect, along with the greatest delay in the onset of heart disease was observed among individuals whose sugar intake was restricted from conception through about age two. Health experts have long suggested that the first 1000 days of life represent a critical window when nutrition can influence long-term health.

A planet-friendly Nordic diet could cut risk of early death by 23%

The recommendations encourage eating less meat and added sugar and increasing intake of whole grains, legumes, fish and low-fat dairy products. Introduced in 2023, the guidelines were designed to promote better nutrition while also reducing climate impact. 

Now, researchers report that people who closely follow these recommendations have a significantly lower risk of death. Researchers from Aarhus University found that those who followed the guidelines closely had a 23% lower risk of death compared to those who didn’t. To reach their conclusions, the researchers analysed data from more than 76,000 Swedish adults.

Changing eating window dramatically reduced Crohn’s disease symptoms in clinical trial

A new clinical trial suggests that changing when you eat could make a meaningful difference for people living with Crohn’s disease. The findings come from a randomised controlled trial funded by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.

Researchers found that time-restricted feeding, a form of intermittent fasting that limits meals to an 8-hour daily window, reduced disease activity by 40% and cut abdominal discomfort in half over 12 weeks.

Participants also lost weight and showed healthier inflammation and immune markers, even though they did not reduce calories or change what they ate.

Researchers found that a low-fat vegan diet cut insulin use by nearly 30% in type 1 diabetes

A low-fat vegan diet – without cutting calories or carbs – may help people with type 1 diabetes significantly reduce how much insulin they need and how much is spent on it.

In a new analysis, participants following the plant-based plan lowered their daily insulin use by 28%, while those on a portion-controlled diet saw no meaningful change. The findings come from new research by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, published in BMC Nutrition.

Evidence behind intermittent fasting for weight loss fails to match social media hype in new review

Researchers analysed evidence from 22 randomized clinical trials involving 1,995 adults across North America, Europe, China, Australia and South America. Trials examined multiple forms of intermittent fasting, including alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting and time-restricted feeding. Most studies followed participants for up to 12 months.

The new Cochrane review compared intermittent fasting with traditional dietary advice and with no intervention. Intermittent fasting did not appear to have a clinically meaningful effect on weight loss compared to standard dietary advice or doing nothing.