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Under the new government schemes announced on Sunday, it should be easier for customers to buy healthy food.
In England, the supermarket and food manufacturer in England will be partnered to deal with obesity rates by encouraging people to make their weekly shop healthy.
Ministers say that this food retailers have to decide how they do this, but it may include offering healthy food, to get healthy options to encourage loyalty points to encourage healthy options, or to change the shop layout.
It can also include changing products to make them healthy.
It is expected that the schemes will help to make healthy food more accessible to customers and relieve pressure on NHS.
The policy will show a report on the sale of healthy food in a bid to increase accountability to the major food retailers in the policy, but it does not apply specific goals.
The scheme is part of a part of measures aimed at improving the health of the nation that will be included in the 10-year plan for NHS in England, which is expected to be published next week.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said, “The risk of NHS becomes unstable until we curb the rising tide of cost and demand.”
“Today, this government’s ambition for children is for them to be part of the healthy generation of children. It is within our understanding.”
The upcoming report will reveal that more than one in five children are living with obesity, until they leave primary school, growing up to one in three in the most disadvantaged areas.
A recent report received The cost of a basket of healthy food is more than doubled than less healthy options,
The Food Foundation reported that 1,000 calorie healthy foods such as fruits and vegetarian costs £ 8.80, while less healthy food is equal to £ 4.30, such as prepared food and processed meat.
Andrew OP of the British Retail Consortium said that the news is “really positive”, but said “all food businesses” should work together to reduce obesity.
OP told the BBC, “All food businesses confuse the difference.”
“It can’t just be about supermarkets- we consume a quarter about our calories outside the house, so unless we get all supermarkets, food retailers and restaurants on board, we will not transfer dial to obesity.”
The OP said he agreed to the government’s flexible perspective on standards, because in businesses “a lot of insight and data” is how we shop for food and what would be the best for their customers.
Catherine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “The government has identified the root cause of sick health related to obesity: a food system that makes healthy food difficult.”
He said that it was encouraging to see the government “instead of putting the burden on those who are already a burden on those who are already attaining the spotlight on businesses.
Along with the new partnership, the government said that this will also happen:
- Through a new app, provide shopping vouchers to customers in exchange for active and healthy food
- The number of spaces on the NHS Digital Weight Management Program doubles, which supports thick individuals with diabetes or high blood pressure
- Advertisement Introduction to strict rules on alcohol
It is expected that new guidance will reduce people’s consumption of sugar and calories.
The government cited research showing that cutting only 50 calories a day would make 340,000 children and two million adults out of obesity.
Researchers said that if everyone is overweight, then reduced their calorie intake by just 216 calories in a day, which is equal to a bottle of fizzi drink, obesity would be half, the researchers said.
This is not the first time the government has demanded voluntary partnership with the industry. In the last 20 years, some foods have had several food correction programs aimed at reducing salt, sugar and calories.
Between 2015 and 2020, success has been mixed with a push to reduce sugar by 20% in certain foods.
Sara Woolno from the Kings Fund Think Tank said that while welcoming, the impact of the plan could be limited.
“Very less healthy food and drinks are purchased from local facilities shops and takeaets.
“The obvious fact is that unhealthy food is very cheap and more easily available and so until this change is not part of a broad, comprehensive strategy, it will not be enough.”
