UK Health Radio Medical News Update - Regulating What we Eat

UK Health Radio

Medical News Update - Regulating What we Eat

A news story today from the BBC that suggests that the food industry should, like the tobacco industry, be regulated. This comes as obesity poses an ever increasing global health risk, some International groups say even more of a risk than cigarette smoking.

The World Obesity Federation and Consumers International are now calling for the adoption of stricter rules.  These could include pictures appearing on food packaging showing the damage done by obesity, in a similar way to the graphic images of diseased lungs shown on cigarette packets now.  You would expect the food and drinks industry to be up in arms at this but the Food and Drink Federation have said that the food industry was keen to work towards more healthy outcomes for consumers. 

Luke Upchurch from the Consumers International organisation said “If we don't take action now we are going to have the same intransigence and foot-dragging in the food industry... as we saw in 1960s where the tobacco industry were saying there was nothing wrong with cigarettes, they are good for our health, and now 30 or 40 years later millions have died as a result of smoking.”

The World Obesity Federation and Consumers International have said that governments worldwide should now impose compulsory rules for the food and drink industry pointing out that worldwide deaths caused by obesity and being overweight had risen from 2.6 million in 2005 to 3.4 million in 2010.

The new rules could include reducing the levels of salt, saturated fat and sugar in food, improving food served in schools and hospitals and the imposition of stricter advertising controls, and better education to all sectors of the community about healthy eating.

The recommendations also stipulate that harmful artificial trans-fats should be removed from all food and drink products within five years. 

Advertising aimed at children, during television programmes such as the X-Factor, must also be restricted, said the organisations.   Other measures could include Governments reviewing food prices, introducing taxes, changing licensing controls and starting new research to make this happen, the report said.

Luke Upchurch at Consumers International said they were asking for the "a parallel global treaty to that imposed on the tobacco industry.”

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio Medical News Update

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