Government starts healthy food ‘revolution’ to tackle obesity epidemic
Large retailers including supermarkets will be set a new standard to make the average shopping basket of goods sold slightly healthier.
Businesses will be given the freedom to meet the standard however works best for them, whether that’s reformulating products and tweaking recipes, changing shop layouts, offering discounts on healthy foods or changing loyalty schemes to promote healthier options.
Public health experts believe cutting the calorie count of a daily diet by just 50 calories would lift 340,000 children and two million adults out of obesity. If everyone who is overweight reduced their calorie intake by just 216 calories a day, equivalent to a single bottle of fizzy drink, obesity would be halved.
Obesity is one of the root causes of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. With the UK now having the third highest rate of adult obesity in Europe, it remains a critical public health challenge, costing the NHS £11.4 billion a year, three times the NHS budget for ambulance services.
Through the Plan for Change, the Government is shifting the focus from treatment to prevention and creating a more active state – that works with partners to make the healthy choice the easy choice – and a transition of the NHS from a sickness service to a prevention service.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable. The good news is that it only takes a small change to make a big difference.
“This Government’s ambition for kids today is for them to be part of the healthiest generation of children ever. That is within our grasp. With the smart steps we’re taking today, we can give every child a healthy start to life.
“Through our new healthy food standard, we will make the healthy choice the easy choice, because prevention is better than cure. By shifting from sickness to prevention through our Plan for Change, we will make sure the NHS can be there for us when we need it.”
Obesity rates have doubled since the 1990s, including among children. A forthcoming report by the Chief Medical Officer will show that more than one in five children are living with obesity by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost one in three in areas with higher levels of poverty and deprivation.
Henry Dimbleby, author of the National Food Strategy and Independent Review for Government, commented: “What gets measured gets done. Mandatory reporting is a crucial first step in improving the food environment – it creates a level playing field, rewards the businesses already acting, and gives us a clear picture of what’s really being sold.
“It’s fantastic to see food retailers themselves calling for this. With proper data, we can start to reshape the food system and make healthier choices easier for everyone.”
