How the Mid-Victorians Worked, Ate and Died

Paul Clayton and Judith Rowbotham
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Paul Clayton: School of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Judith Rowbotham: Department of History & Law, Nottingham Trent University, UK

IJERPH, 2009, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: Analysis of the mid-Victorian period in the U.K. reveals that life expectancy at age 5 was as good or better than exists today, and the incidence of degenerative disease was 10% of ours. Their levels of physical activity and hence calorific intakes were approximately twice ours. They had relatively little access to alcohol and tobacco; and due to their correspondingly high intake of fruits, whole grains, oily fish and vegetables, they consumed levels of micro- and phytonutrients at approximately ten times the levels considered normal today. This paper relates the nutritional status of the mid-Victorians to their freedom from degenerative disease; and extrapolates recommendations for the cost-effective improvement of public health today.

Keywords: Public health; dietary shift; degenerative disease; Victorian (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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