Blog
The Government can’t afford to put the brakes on anti-obesity policies
It has been three years since the Government's landmark obesity strategy was launched, but plans to address the nation's obesity crisis have since stalled, our Chief Executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, writes.
Obesity poses a grave threat to our national health and wealth.
As one in four adults lives with obesity we know that millions of people are at increased risk of heart and circulatory diseases right now, and that comes with an estimated annual cost to the economy of £58bn.
Three years ago this threat was recognised by the Government when they published a bold strategy to address obesity.
After an initial flurry of activity, including measures being passed into law, subsequent delays and ideological wrangling mean the plan has since languished on the shelf gathering dust.
And what's worse, the implementation of landmark legislation to restrict multi-buy deals has been delayed for a further two years, on the mistaken grounds that such measures are not helpful to families struggling in the cost-of-living crisis.
Kicking these important policies into the long grass is a misguided move which will not help people struggling with their finances.
Take price promotions such as multi-buy deals as an example. These are an established sales tactic designed to encourage people to buy impulsively, leading to people buying more junk food, rather than offering good, value for money, staple products to people in tough times.
It is all the more frustrating because we know the Government recognises the importance of addressing obesity, and still claims to be committed to its ambition of halving childhood obesity, but its rhetoric is at odds with its actions.
Rather than press ahead with the landmark measures announced in 2020, it is instead focusing on obesity treatment. While treatment may be an important piece of the puzzle, we'll never be able to treat our way out of the obesity epidemic.
Throughout history, bold public health policies have attracted criticism from those wary of the advance of the ‘nanny state’, and who stress the role of personal (and parental) responsibility.
But over decades we’ve learnt that individual willpower will never be the sole factor in health – it is always part of a more complex equation.
Any parent will tell you that the choices we make are inescapably shaped by the environment we live in, and so a more comprehensive response is needed to stand any chance of making an impact.
Only by creating an environment in which healthy food is better value, more affordable and easier to access, and where children aren't targeted by powerful junk food marketing, can we make a difference for those who need it most.
And we have to do this when children living in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to be living with obesity than their peers in the least deprived communities.
And that’s why the Government’s Obesity Strategy was so compelling, as a wholesale prevention-first approach to improving our national health is critical.
Government knows that no single measure is a silver bullet for driving down obesity rates, whether that is increasing access to weight loss jabs, exercise or embracing cutting edge tech. And families are behind such an agenda.
A YouGov poll we commissioned reinforced that the majority of UK adults (59 per cent) believe the government has a responsibility to help people lead a healthy lifestyle.
Today affordability is the lens through which so many pressing issues are being viewed by politicians and the public alike, and the Government must look at obesity in the same fashion.
At this time of crisis for health we know, and Government knows, how to begin to address the immense burden of obesity.
We have the strategy and backing from families across the UK. All we need now is the political willpower.