Leaked Documents Suggest the Government Could Water Down Anti-Obesity Strategies

It seems as if we've been discussing the obesity crisis and debating how to reduce sugar and fat intake until we're all fit to burst—literally. And since Public Health England released its findings on the long-term health effects of excess sugar last year (TLDR: it's not good), the British Government has been under increased pressure to put together a robust action plan to tackle obesity.

But according to a leaked draft of its long-awaited childhood obesity strategy seen and reported on by The Times last Friday, this may not be as robust as health campaigners would like.

The proposals obtained by the newspaper show that plans to restrict junk food advertising and reduce sugar in food and drink products have been dropped—two of the very suggestions made to the Government by Public Health England back in October.

According to the documents, rather than be given six months to reduce sugar by 20 percent, the food and drinks industry will be receive the less specific directive of being "challenged to reduce overall sugar in products that contribute to children's sugar intakes."

Proposals to limit promotional deals on unhealthy products, ban unhealthy foods at shop checkouts, and limit junk food television advertising to after 9 PM are also scrapped in the leaked documents.

This will come as a blow to health campaigners, especially after last week's call from the Food and Drink Federation for the proposed sugar tax of March's Budget to be stalled.

MUNCHIES reached out to Public Health England for comment but was told that no statement would be made until the Government had published its childhood obesity strategy. No official date has been set for this, although some have suggested that ministers' new focus on Brexit and Theresa May's recent cabinet reshuffle may further delay its release.

It seems Britain's response to the obesity crisis is still very much TBC.