Monthly Archives: July 2015

Jul 17
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Health campaigners welcome new report that recommends halving sugar intake

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Give Up Loving Pop, a campaign group that is encouraging the public to think again before reaching for sugary drinks, welcomes a new report released today which recommends that we should all drastically reduce our sugar intake; so that sugar makes up only 5% of an individual’s total daily energy intake.

The report, from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), introduces guidance which is likely to have a significant impact upon the public as well as the food and drink industry. The new recommended 5% limit will mean that products such as crisps and chocolate bars should be regarded as “once or twice a week” luxuries, not as snacks to be eaten every day.

Robin Ireland, Director of the Give Up Loving Pop campaign, has responded to the report:

“That the report released today recommends a halving on the previous guidelines is a big win for the public’s health and the Give Up Loving Pop campaign. However, given that the new recommendations will mean moving from an intake of 50-70g per day (women and men respectively) to 25-35g per day, it will be vital that the government and the food and drink industry step-up and take action to make it easier for the public to adhere to the new guidelines. Take sugary drinks as an example; one standard can of coke contains 39g of sugar, so just by drinking one can of coke a day would exceed your recommended intake.”

For media enquiries / interviews please email: matthew.donnelly@hegroup.org.uk / telephone: 0151 237 2686.

Jul 13
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Doctors’ leaders call for a 20 per cent tax amid warnings over impact of poor diet on nation’s health

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Doctors’ leaders are calling for a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks to subsidise the sale of fruit and vegetables, and help tackle the increasing level of obesity and diet-related health problems in the UK.

As a third of the population are projected to be obese by 2030, a new report from the BMA, ‘Food for Thought’, highlights the need for wide-ranging action to promote healthier diets, particularly among children and young people.

It also calls for new legislation to ensure that all the 3500 academies and 200 free schools in England adhere to the same mandatory food standards as state schools, such as not serving soft drinks and providing at least one portion of fruit every day.

Professor Sheila Hollins, BMA board of science chair, said:

“Doctors are increasingly concerned about the impact of poor diet, which is responsible for up to 70,000 deaths a year, and has the greatest impact on the NHS budget, costing £6bn annually.

“While sugar-sweetened drinks are very high in calories they are of limited nutritional value and when people in the UK are already consuming far too much sugar, we are increasingly concerned about how they contribute towards conditions like diabetes.

“We know from experiences in other countries that taxation on unhealthy food and drinks can improve health outcomes, and the strongest evidence of effectiveness is for a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. If a tax of at least 20 per cent is introduced, it could reduce the prevalence of obesity in the UK by around 180,000 people.

“We know that the majority of the UK population, particularly low income households, are not consuming enough fruit and vegetables, so financial measures should also be considered to subsidise their price, which has risen by 30 per cent since 2008. This is an important way to help redress the imbalance highlighted previously between the cost of healthy and unhealthy products, which particularly impacts on individuals and families affected by food poverty.”

The report also calls on the government to ensure food provided by all local academies and free schools meets the same mandatory standards as state schools, and that free fruit and vegetable schemes are available in all primary schools in the UK.

Although local authority schools must follow strict food regulations, not all academies and free schools have to adhere to these standards.

Professor Hollins said:

“Children’s diets are easily influenced, so regulating the food provided in schools, and providing free fruit and vegetables in primary schools, is an important way to support healthier diets among children and young people. All academies and free schools must be subject to the same mandatory standards as state schools, as without them they are more likely to provide cheaper, poorer quality food.”

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