Bunfight at Calorie Corral

Bunfight at Calorie Corral







The UK government has recently come out 'buns blazing' to call out the food industry once more , this time to reduce the calorie count in packaged and foodservice foods across some but not all food categories by 20 % by 2020... or else.

However well intentioned and however necessary , this is another example of a laudable but ultimately poorly constructed initiative to tackle the consequences to the individual and to society of the obesity crisis facing the UK and indeed many other countries.

The UK authorities have in recent years undertaken public health campaigns,including the usual threats to the food and drink industries, to tackle salt , fat and sugar reductions as well as promoting healthier a lifestyle and more excercise ; more recently we have had a public airing of the potential merits of tax based incentives including a so called "Latte levy" to discourage the use of non recyclable take away coffee cups.

The fundamental problem is that once more the latest foray , focussed single mindedly on reducing calorie intake ,is an overly simplistic approach to a complex problem which fails to tackle some of the other root causes and behaviours behind the nutritionally poor dietary habits of many in the UK.
The threat of sanctions to the food industry for instance simply reinforces the view already embraced by some interest groups that "Big Food" is intent on systematically damaging the health of consumers by enslaving them to "Ultra Processed " foods . This is not , as I have written before, a particularly good business model , even in the hopefully unlikely scenario it were to be true. Sadly the criminal and negligent actions of some in the food business have in fact opened the door to this type of conspiracy theory showing scant to insufficient regard for food safety and transparency standards, never mind consumer health.

So taking a broader look at this what strikes me most is the lack of focus on education : by educating young and old alike about the benefits of better nutrition , healthy eating , cooking and healthy lifestyles one might hope to see a change in consumer behaviour. It is not as if there are no healthier choices available ; in most cases, we are more spoilt for choice now with healthier food options than has probably ever been the case.

Of course there is also a positive contribution to be made by a more holistic approach ,including offering healthier options either by recipe reformulation or by the option of reduction of portion sizes , but fundamentally if the behaviours and attitudes of consumers don't change it may not change the bigger picture very much . I am also in favour of controlling content and access to advertising of unhealthy foods to children for instance... but at heart changes for the better come in a free society because it is consumers who wish to change...

What is the role of the food business in public health debates ? Utilize all that consumer insight, engage , be proactive, promote sensible consumption , balance and healthy lifestyles , be part of the solution.