Malnutrition rising warning

[caption id="attachment_64663" align="alignnone" width="680"]

Food Train is making a series of asks of Scottish poliitcal parties ahead of the 2025 Scottish Parliament Elections. Promoting them in Dumfries are, left to right, Food Train regional manager Kirsty McCracken with volunteers Scott Learmont, Andrew Begg, Alan Kelly and Malcolm McLean. Picture: Food Train November 2025 *** Local Caption *** e[/caption] A WARNING has been given that 15 per cent of older people in Dumfries and Galloway are at risk of malnutrition.

The Food Train charity has revealed that of the over 65s that they assessed locally this year, 15 per cent are in danger of falling ill.

And that’s a rise of two per cent on last year.

As a result, they are calling for more action on the issue from Holyrood.

Ahead of next year’s Scottish Parliament elections, they want the political parties to include five “bold but achievable” calls in their manifestos.

They are:

n Ringfence funding for community-based food access for older people.

n Enshrine the right to food for older people into Scots law.

n Launch a national malnutrition prevention and screening programme.

n Invest in volunteers and community-led support.

nInvolve older people in food and health policy design.

Food Train chief executive Rosie McLuskie stressed their findings are way above the national estimate of ten per cent, saying: “We have been saying for years that official estimates are simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to malnutrition among older people. Our latest data is further evidence of that.”

Analysing the recent spike in malnourishment risk, dietitian Jen Grant, who leads the charity’s malnutrition screening work, said: “Reductions in public services and ongoing cost of living pressures are having an impact - along with the fact that our population generally is getting older and frailer.

“When we surveyed our members, 22 per cent told us that they were changing the way that they buy food because of cost. When we screened those people, we found that half of them were at risk of malnutrition.

“Greater preventive and screening measures - such as those provided by Food Train - will help identify those people at risk sooner and allow action to be taken before their health and wellbeing worsens.”

In addition, Food Train says that the strain of malnutrition among older people on NHS and social care services — including increased risk of frailty, falls and exacerbating other health conditions - could be reduced by greater investment in prevention.

Members of the Food Train hope to meet with politicians locally and nationally in the months ahead to discuss their calls to action.

Rosie McLuskie added: “To find that growing numbers of older people are at risk of becoming malnourished is unacceptable. This cannot continue.

“By committing to our five calls to action in the next Scottish Parliament, political parties can take significant steps towards making a real difference to the lives of older people - allowing organisations such as ours to step up the work.”