Am I being ludicrous in thinking that hospitals should be promoting a healthy lifestyle?
We were recently visiting a relative in hospital at Peterborough Hospital, a relatively new building, and the first thing that struck me as we approached the entrance was the women in her dressing grown and slippers standing outside the front doors with a cigarette in hand. As we entered we thought lets get some fruit to take the patient so we looked at the shops in the foyer, WH Smiths, Costa Coffee, another coffee shop/restaurant and plenty of vending machines selling crisps, chocolates and fizzy drinks but not a piece of fruit in site, we got her a magazine instead!
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But what really shocked me was the big poster outside the coffee shop advertising their ‘product of the month’ donuts only £1.25 or 2 for £2.00. Hmmm, fried sugar laden donuts, just what sick people need. Giving out the wrong message or what but then when you look at hospital meals that consist of fish and chips and cheap slop I don’t know why I was surprised. Personally I feel the only food that should be available on hospital property are those that are healthy and nutritious. Not food that will rapidly cause your health to decline. And as for patients, they really don’t need fish and chips, white bread sandwiches and puddings. What they need is nutrient rich food. What is the point of nursing people from illness when the very food you feed them is working against that? After all, didn’t Hippocrates say “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food”. |
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The funny thing is there are signs in the wards to say please don’t bring in food for the patients. Well, if I was in hospital there is no way I am eating what they serve up, I know I’ll get a lot better and healthier meals bought in from home but not everyone has that facility so it is so important that the food provided in hospitals is healthy but unfortunately I think politics, bureaucracy, and money dictates otherwise. Apparently more money is spent on meals in prisons than in hospitals.
What has been your experience of hospital food?