{
  "id": 14000106,
  "title": "The surprising benefits of food rationing | Letters",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/the-surprising-benefits-of-food-rationing-letters",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-12T16:36:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/oct/12/the-surprising-benefits-of-food-rationing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The second world war brought about many hardships, but one such hardship that surprisingly had little negative impact was the restricted diet with little sugar, according to Roger Wilkinson and Helen Keats. This revelation comes in the wake of an article highlighting the staggering fact that British children are going hungry while 1.1 billion meals are wasted annually.\n\nThe juxtaposition of these two stories is striking. While one highlights the issue of food waste, the other compares the health of those who lived through the \"hunger winter\" in Rotterdam during the German occupation with their current well-being. This comparison suggests that the generation raised on sugar rations may be reaping the benefits of their parsimonious lifestyle.\n\nWhat is particularly noteworthy is the fact that the average family throws away 156 meals a year, a figure that might seem shocking to some. However, those who experienced the sugar rationing during World War II seem to have an advantage in this regard. They not only scrape their bowls clean but also show restraint in throwing away food items that are only too moldy to scrape off.\n\nAs a result of these experiences, it appears that those who lived through the war may live longer than their contemporaries. This \"smugness\" over the potential longevity gained through such parsimonious living is palpable.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "British children going hungry while 1.1 billion meals wasted annually",
    "Rotterdam residents raised on sugar rations healthier than current generation",
    "Average family throws away 156 meals per year"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}