For years, Alice Ingman’s favorite foods consisted of unhealthy takeaway options like curries, pizza, fried chicken, kebabs, and fish and chips. As a result, she steadily gained weight, until one day she couldn’t even fit into a size 20. At 115kg, she was horrified and realized it was time to make a change. Joining a weight-loss group and starting to cook meals from scratch for the first time in her life, she successfully maintained a weight of 60kg for the past five years.
While Ingman’s back-to-basics approach worked for her, the recent introduction of the weight-loss jab, Wegovy, to the NHS has been hailed as a game-changer in the fight against obesity. This new drug uses a hormone to suppress appetite. However, health experts and charities argue that while new drugs are beneficial, a broader conversation and more definitive action are needed from industry and the government to address the UK’s approach to food.
Obesity is a serious public health crisis globally, and the UK has one of the highest rates in Europe, with 27.8% of the population being obese. Campaigners highlight the increasing consumption of cheap, ultra-processed foods, which account for 57% of the UK’s food intake, as a contributing factor. They believe that without intervention, this health crisis is unlikely to improve.
Katherine Jenner, a nutritionist and director of the Obesity Health Alliance, emphasizes the imbalance in the food system, where unhealthy foods are most appealing, affordable, and easily accessible. She describes the food system as broken and failing society, the healthcare system, and individuals.
Obesity has wide-ranging effects, causing severe health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, costing the UK around £6.5 billion annually. Globally, at least 2.8 million people die each year due to being overweight or obese.
Experts attribute the rise in obesity to significant changes in dietary habits over the past 50 years. Data on family eating habits show a decrease in the consumption of healthy, non-processed foods like fruits, vegetables, fresh cabbages, and fresh apples. On the other hand, the consumption of unhealthy, processed foods like takeaway chicken, ready meals, convenience meat products, and crisps has drastically increased.
The affordability of processed foods is a key driver of these dietary patterns. Fruits and vegetables are more expensive than processed foods, making them less accessible to vulnerable households. This price disparity contributes to the higher obesity rates in these households.
Health experts advocate for changes such as making healthy products more affordable and reducing the heavy advertising of unhealthy food. Currently, a significant portion of food and soft drink advertising spend is directed towards confectionery, snacks, desserts, and soft drinks, while only 1% is spent on fruit and vegetables. This imbalance needs to be addressed to promote healthier food choices.
The UK government has implemented various strategies to combat obesity over the years, but with mixed success. Key policies include the introduction of a soft drinks levy and rules to restrict the placement of high-fat, sugar, and salt items in prominent positions. However, health campaigners argue that these policies lack urgency, and more needs to be done.
Experts recommend taxing salt and sugar to incentivize manufacturers to produce healthier foods. However, this proposal has been rejected by ministers. Other setbacks include delays in implementing restrictions on unhealthy food advertisements and multi-buy deals on high-fat, sugar, and salt foods.
Furthermore, public health grants to support weight management services have been scaled back, leading to reduced funding for obesity programs. This lack of support and funding hinders individuals’ ability to make healthier choices.
While the government claims to be taking action to tackle obesity, experts and campaigners believe that more needs to be done. They emphasize the importance of not only addressing individual responsibility but also recognizing that the food system is not set up to promote healthy eating. Support, affordability, and access to healthier food options are crucial in the fight against obesity.
Alice Ingman’s success story serves as inspiration, but her journey highlights the need for holistic and comprehensive solutions to tackle obesity effectively.
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