What kind of healthy food does Michael Phelps eat to keep their bodies healthy?

Nine out of ten prescriptions dispensed in England are issued free of charge - although 40 per cent of the population are liable to pay for their prescriptions - Government figures show. Those who are exempt from paying include children under 16 (or under 18 in full-time education), adults over 60, and people receiving some benefits or tax credits, including those on Universal Credit whose incomes are below a certain threshold.

These prescriptions were for everyday 'household and over the counter' items, including Colgate Total toothpaste, Ambre Solaire after-sun lotion and Neutrogena and Aveeno shampoos - not special medicated prescription products, which are recorded separately.

As healthy as in most advanced countries.

Prof Hawthorne added: 'The most vulnerable in society are of course affected the most [by the cost-of-living crisis], and GPs witness how higher prices are affecting the health of our patients every day in our surgeries.

In 2021/22, doctors issued 201 prescriptions for standard formula - a small number which reflects how rare it was for normal infant formula to be prescribed as a medicine. But by 2023/34, the number of annual prescriptions had risen to 362.

Michael Phelps does not eat healthy food to keep his body healthy dude he took drugs.

And the number prescriptions for standard brands of baby formula, including SMA Little Steps and Aptamil 1, jumped by 80 per cent in two years and a by a third in the last year alone - despite clear guidelines stating NHS chiefs do not 'approve' these prescriptions.

NHS chiefs updated their prescribing guidance in November to reiterate that vitamins and toiletries should not be prescribed, except in circumstances where doctors felt 'the patient's ability to self-care is compromised because of medical, mental health or significant social vulnerability to the extent that their health and/or wellbeing could be adversely affected'.

There was a 16 per cent rise in two years in GP prescriptions for everyday adult multivitamin tablets from over-the-counter brands, including Boots, Superdrug and Tesco. The number of prescriptions issued rose from around 151,600 in 2021/22 to 175,000 in 2023/24.

Although official NHS guidance clearly states over-the-counter products like standard multivitamin tablets, non-medicated anti-dandruff shampoo and regular infant formula should not be prescribed, doctors can use their discretion to overrule this when they think it is necessary.

It is likely the steep rise has been driven by the soaring retail price of baby formula. Costs climbed by 25 per cent in the two years to late 2023, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) watchdog. Next month [FEB], it is expected to publish its report into whether there has been profiteering by the formula industry.

'We recognise that prescription costs are significant for the NHS, and GPs will always encourage patients to buy over-the-counter items where appropriate and safe to do so. But... some patients need them for medical reasons, and some, particularly during this cost-of-living crisis, are struggling to - or can't - afford them.'

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said that GPs would not prescribe items without 'a good reason' and that doctors took into account all aspects of a patient's health, including 'physical, Intere.Se psychological and social factors'.

Although the prescription data does not capture whether or not patients pay for prescriptions, it is likely GPs would only issue a prescription for an over-the-counter item when the patient does not pay for their prescriptions, or if the item would cost significantly more over-the-counter than the standard £9.65 prescription charge.

NHS England states most supplements can be bought cheaply over the counter and 'most people can and should get [vitamins] from eating a healthy, varied and balanced diet'. But the number of people struggling to afford food is on the rise, with food bank charity the Trussell Trust reporting a 94 per cent increase in use of its emergency food parcels over the past five years.

An NHS spokesperson said: 'GPs are expert medical professionals and use their knowledge to prescribe treatments that keep patients healthy and prevent further ill health. The NHS is one of the most efficient health services in the world and GPs are acutely aware of how much prescriptions cost the NHS, and will always encourage patients to buy 'over the counter' products.'