For years experts have argued that poor households are consuming less nourishing food than the rest of the population. But a survey of some of the lowest earners in Britain shows the nutritional value of what they eat is little different to everyone else. In fact, the same deficiencies in diet were shared by all the population and the findings suggest that poor eating choices are far more widespread than previously suspected - affecting many wealthier families. These included low fruit and vegetable consumption, not eating enough oily fish and eating too much saturated fat and sugar. 'This is a large and significant study and it shows we are all eating just as bad a diet as each other,' said Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City University. The poorest families were eating only slightly more sugar and slightly less fruit and vegetables, according to the study of 3,728 respondents in the bottom of the population.

Alison Tedstone, head of nutritional science at the Food Standard Agency, said: 'Overall, people on low incomes have less than ideal diets, but their diets are only slightly worse than those of the rest of the population.'

The study also showed that low earners are choosing to eat unhealthily. Their food choices were not linked to their income, their access to shops or their cooking skills. The findings appear to contradict assumptions that the poor cannot afford healthier foods or are too far away from shops that sell them. The Low Income Nutrition and Diet Survey showed that like the rest of the population, the poor's daily fruit and vegetable intake on average is below the recommended five portions. Fewer than 10 per cent of respondents hit this target, while around 20 per cent ate less than a portion per day. More than three quarters (76 per cent) of men and 81 per cent of women did less than one 30-minute session of moderate or vigorous exercise per week. Some 45 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women were smokers. This compares with 28 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women in the general population.

多年来，专家们一直认为，贫困家庭摄入的营养食物比其他人群要少。 而英国一项对最低收入人群的调查表明，这些人所摄入食物的营养价值与其他人群没有太大区别。 实际上，所有人的饮食习惯都存在同样的缺陷。调查结果表明，“穷人式”的饮食选择所涉及的人群比之前预计的要广泛得多，影响着很多较为富裕的家庭。 这种饮食所摄入的水果和蔬菜较少、油性鱼的摄入量不足、饱和脂肪和糖分的摄入量过多。 城市大学食品政策教授Tim Lang说：“这是一项十分有意义的大规模调查。调查表明，我们的饮食习惯都很不合理。” 根据对处于社会底层的3728名受访者的调查，最穷的家庭摄入的糖分仅略多一点，摄入的水果和蔬菜也只是略少一点。 食品标准局营养科学部的主任阿里森·泰德斯通说：“总的来说，收入较低的人吃的较差，但他们的饮食也只比其它人群略差一点。” 调查表明，低收入人群不健康的饮食方式是他们自身造成的。他们的饮食选择与收入、离商店的远近及烹饪技巧并没有必然联系。 这一结果与穷人们买不起健康食品或离商店太远的假设相矛盾。 此项低收入人群营养及饮食调查发现，与其他人群一样，穷人平均每天摄入的水果和蔬菜量低于专家建议的五份。达到这一建议标准的受访者不到10%，约20%的受访者每天摄入的果蔬量不到一份。 超过四分之三（76%）的男性和81%的女性每周进行适度或剧烈运动的时间不到30分钟。 其中，约45%的男性和40%的女性是烟民。 而总人口中的这一比例分别为28%和24%。