The new British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has a lot to contend with at this time of economic uncertainty in the UK. But prioritising the nation’s health and taking action against poor diet and unhealthy body weight needs to be high on his agenda.
Sticking with existing and scheduled anti-obesity legislation will not only benefit people’s health, but it will also boost the UK economy. Healthier diets keep people in work, which improves workplace productivity and helps cut millions of pounds of government spending on the NHS.
In September 2022, Liz Truss’s government ordered a review of the entire obesity strategy for England. This review included the possibility of scrapping the levy on sugary drink manufacturers (which has proved successful at reducing the amount of sugar households buy) and halting legislation to limit the marketing of unhealthy food online, on TV before 9pm and in retail outlets.
