From Your Health Journal…..”Earlier today, we did a review from another UK publication which stated the London’s Westminster Council has come up with a drastic plan to help end the UK’s growing obesity problem: cutting benefits for any obese person who refuses to exercise. This was a very interesting article. Now, a new article came out from another great UK publication called The Guardian which is stating how the health secretary is considering to introduce new laws to limit the amount of sugar, salt and fat in processed foods to curb childhood obesity but said he wanted to give supermarkets and manufacturers a chance to get their “house in order” before resorting to legislation. Sounds like the UK is really pushing forward the fight against childhood obesity. Going to be interested to see how this all unfolds. Please visit The Guardian web site (link provided below) to read the complete article.”

From the article…..

Supermarkets and manufacturers told to get ‘their house in order’ or face laws to curb high levels of sugar and fat in food

The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has said he will consider introducing new laws to limit the amount of sugar, salt and fat in processed foods to curb childhood obesity but said he wanted to give supermarkets and manufacturers a chance to get their “house in order” before resorting to legislation.

The comments come after his Labour counterpart, Andy Burnham, announced a consultation on capping sugar and fat levels in food targeted at children. Hunt criticised the former health secretary for failing to tackle the problem while he was in power, and said Labour had left the nation with the highest childhood obesity rate in Europe.

He told ITV News: “My message to the supermarkets and the food manufacturers is that we will of course consider legislation. But we want to give you a chance to put your house in order and make sure that we are not shovelling sugar down the throats of young children and storing up problems for the future.”

A report by the Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that English children were the third fattest in Europe, after Italy and Greece – but almost twice as obese as the French. Almost 27% of girls in England were overweight and 23% of boys.

The OECD estimated that a comprehensive anti-obesity strategy in England would cost less than £12 per person and save 70,000 lives per year.

Earlier, Burnham said voluntary agreements with the food industry were not working, and that Labour was looking at legal limits setting maximum permitted levels of fat, sugar and salt in food aimed at youngsters, which could include a 30% cap on sugar in cereals.

To read the complete article…..Click here