Obesity and diet

Our food environment has a very strong influence on our food choices, and ultimately our cardiovascular health. We know that less healthy foods, which are high in fat, salt and sugar, are often more available and affordable. We’re calling on the Government to implement population-level measures to improve our food environment.

Obesity in the UK

Obesity rates amongst adults in the UK remain stubbornly high, with over 60% living with excess weight or obesity. Childhood obesity has massively increased over the last 20 years, with an estimated 27% of children in the UK now living with a BMI defined as overweight or obese.

Living with excess weight or obesity increases the risk of developing a heart or circulatory condition. Indeed, around 1 in 9 heart and circulatory disease deaths in the UK are associated with a high body-mass index.

Our work to address the problem

We want a world where the healthy choice is the easy choice. This means addressing the environmental factors which create barriers to healthy food options for families and promote the excessive consumption of foods high in fat, salt and sugar. It is also important to improve the nutritional content of everyday foods through reformulation.

Reducing salt and sugar intake with a food industry levy to help make food healthier

Most of the salt and sugar we eat is already in the food we buy, so if we truly want to help people eat more healthily, we need to improve the nutritional content of our everyday foods.

As a member of the Recipe for Change coalition, we are calling on the Government to build on the success of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – which removed 46,000 tonnes of sugar from soft drinks between 2015 and 2020, without harming sales – and introduce a levy on the food industry to incentivise making their products healthier.

Modelling shows that a wholesale levy on salt and sugar, as proposed in the National Food Strategy, could prevent over 1 million cases of cardiovascular disease over 25 years. The funds raised could also be used to help families, especially those in more deprived communities, to access a healthier diet.

Read more about our work to reduce the UK’s salt intake.

A 9pm watershed on junk food marketing

Marketing and advertising can strongly influence children’s food preferences and consumption, therefore contributing to the likelihood of children living with obesity. We support the planned 9pm watershed on television and complete online ban of junk food advertising, to reduce children’s exposure.

Junk food advertising is also widespread in out-of-home settings – on billboards, public transport and in sports venues. We want to see the Government extend the planned restrictions to all media, out-of-home settings, programme and event sponsorship to help to create an environment that supports health.  

Front-of-pack nutrition labelling

We would also like to see the implementation of mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling on food and drinks, which would enable consumers to easily make informed choices about what they are eating. This should include a clear breakdown of the salt, sugar and calories in food and drinks.

Front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) refers to any nutritional or traffic-light labelling placed on the front of food packaging. Though it is only one piece of the puzzle towards improving our health environment, when it is done right, FOPL can support us to make healthier choices. We would therefore like to see the UK Government mandate the use of an evidence-based FOPL system to improve consistency across food and drink labelling and incentivise food manufacturers to make their products healthier.

Restrictions on promotion of products high in fat, salt and sugar

Following the implementation of restrictions on location-based promotions of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) food and drink products (for example, at checkouts and shop entrances), we’re calling on the Government to bring in delayed restrictions on multi-buy offers on these products (for example, buy-one-get-one free offers).

Evidence shows that price promotions can increase the total amount of household food and drink purchased by around 20% – these are purchases that people would not make if the price promotions did not exist.

Working in partnership through the Obesity Health Alliance

We are a founding member and funder of the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), a coalition of nearly 60 health organisations and medical royal colleges whose vision is to prevent obesity-related ill-health by addressing the wider environmental factors that lead to excess weight through evidence-based policies.

We support the OHA’s policy priorities as set out in its manifesto.