The UK needs a permanent taskforce to tackle the obesity crisis – and the government’s voluntary Responsibility Deal should be turned into law, a new report has said.
The report, ‘Careless Eating Costs Lives’ (PDF), by think tank 2020health, was funded by AB Sugar. It calls for a rethink of public health strategy to tackle the “drastic effects” of the crisis on society and the economy as a whole, with new legislation to be introduced over the next five-10 years.
The proposed cross-departmental permanent task force would encompass schools, employers, local authorities, government, manufacturers, retailers , restaurants and health professionals.
“We would encourage policy makers to further consider the recommendation that a cross-departmental taskforce be established to tackle the issue of obesity”
AB Sugar
2020heath calls on the government to “recognise the positive response to the Responsibility Deal” of many retailers and suppliers but says that all companies should be forced to follow suit with the Deal turned into a legislative framework.
The Responsibility Deal, introduced in 2011, has seen dozens of food and drink suppliers sign up to voluntary pledges to cut calories in products and improve labelling.
“The Responsibility Deal has made a good start but this needs to be built upon and developed further into a clear legislative framework,” the report says.
The 2020health report also calls for the ban on advertising of unhealthy foods aimed at children to be extended to daytime TV, from 7am to 9pm. And it seeks a review of the economic and societal impacts of raising money to fight obesity off the back of a new tax on unhealthy food and drink.
“Piecemeal solutions have been tried in the past and shown to be inadequate,” said Julia Manning, chief executive of 2020health. “According to the WHO [World Health Organisation] we are the fat man of Europe and this has severe consequences for us as a nation.
“Unless we have a cross-cutting strategy that everyone from the government down takes seriously, obesity will continue to rise and be devastating for both individuals and the nation.”
Discussion
A spokeswoman for AB Sugar said: “The report highlights education and regulation as two potential areas to explore and we would welcome the opportunity to engage further with experts in these areas to discuss their viability. We would encourage policy makers to further consider the recommendation that a cross-departmental taskforce be established to tackle the issue of obesity.”
However, the sugar producer stopped short of backing calls for a new tax: “While there are claims that introducing taxation could help combat rising obesity levels, there is, however, no conclusive evidence that it would have the desired effect or prompt a change in people’s behaviour.”
Melanie Leech, outgoing director general of Food and Drink Federation, added: “I think this report deserves consideration and makes a number of valuable points. But I’m quite sceptical about how you turn a voluntary framework in a one-size-fits-all piece of legislation.”
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