Obesity—a vital issue that’s being overlooked in the UK elections

The adult population in the UK is among the most obese in Europe and the UK came top among 18 European countries in an assessment of household availability of ultra-processed food.12 A recent report found that obesity among 10-11 year olds has increased by 30% since 2006 and type 2 diabetes among the under 25s has increased by 22% in the past five years in the UK. Obesity has a cost.3 In 2020 obesity related costs were estimated at £58 billion annually in the UK, with projections that this could rise to £162 billion by 2060 if unchecked—about 2.5% of GDP.45This is not inevitable. The UK National Food Strategy has identified measures that would make a difference, including restrictions on promotion of junk food, forcing large food companies to report annually what they produce or sell, expanded eligibility for free school meals, subsidies for healthy foods, and including health considerations…
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