Member Article

Food industry must help reduce obesity

Restaurants and fast food outlets may come under scrutiny after an obesity report was published on Monday by doctors from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC).

The Academy recommended a series of changes to prevent the risk of obesity in the UK, including the suggestion that restaurants should provide nutritional information and calorie indicators on their food.

Fast food outlets may have to be located a certain distance away from schools, and a unified “traffic light” system could be brought in to label supermarket foods.

It was suggested that a tax should be brought in on fizzy drinks, similar to the “soda tax” introduced in some U.S. states.

The British Soft Drinks Association hit back at this suggestion and said fizzy drinks have little impact on obesity figures in the UK.

Gavin Partington, BSDA’s director general, commented: “We share the recognition that obesity is a major public health priority but reject the idea that a tax on soft drinks, which contribute just 2 per cent of the total calories in the average diet, is going to address a problem which is about overall diet and levels of activity.

“Don’t forget that there already is a 20 per cent tax on soft drinks - 10p out of every 60p can of drink already goes to the government thanks to VAT. Putting up taxes even further will put pressure on people’s purses at a time when they can ill afford it.”

Further recommendations may impact a variety of sectors, including advertising, the healthcare sector and vending machine operators.

AoMRC said a nine o’clock watershed should be introduced to stop children viewing advertisements for unhealthy foods, while vending machines in hospitals must meet the same regulations as those in schools.

The report also advised the Government to bring in a £100m budget for obesity intervention, such as weight-loss surgery.

Additionally, the review said there should be more support for new parents to provide healthy food for their children, and better food information must be provided to young people.

AoMRC encouraged all parties involved, including businesses, to work together to combat the UK’s obesity issue.

Professor Terence Stephenson, chair of the Academy, said: “The UK is the ‘fat man’ of Europe.[…] No-one we met wants to be overweight.

“People told us they want help to ‘swim with the tide, not against the current’, to make the healthy choice the easy choice.

The Academy called on food manufacturers to agree a traffic light food system by the end of this year, and said Public Health England should start an audit of food outlets licenced by local authorities.

Prof. Stephenson concluded: “There is no single simple solution – if there was we wouldn’t be in the position we are now. But this is no excuse for us to sit on our hands and do nothing.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .