A balanced diet - from facts to solutions

Abstract

It is well known that health is in large part dependent on diet. Inadequate nutrition causes health issues and fatalities among prisoners; food-related contagions are a regular occurrence in prisons; and prisoners are often overweight or obese due to their poor diet and infrequent physical activity. The issue of prisoners’ diets is now being recognized as an important aspect of public health, particularly given that access to food is a human right. In this chapter the barriers to good diets for prisoners and the role of healthcare professionals in maintaining prisoner nutrition are described.