Every government since 1992 has recognised obesity as a serious threat to public health. The various administrations since then have between them produced “at least 14 strategies, 689 policies and 10 targets, and at least 14 key institutions and agencies variously created and abolished”, according to a new report by the Institute for Government thinktank.
Despite all that, obesity has grown relentlessly as a problem for individuals, the NHS and the UK.
John Major (Conservative), 1990-1997
Health of the Nation white paper in 1992 was the first to set out a comprehensive role for government in preventing health problems, not just treating them.
Set a target to reduce the obese proportion of the population to 6% of men and 8% of women by 2005 – the first of many such targets that ministers have set since.
Tony Blair (Labour), 1997-2007
Created a 12-strong cabinet committee on public health. Argued for a new “national contract for health between the state, individuals and communities”. Set up the Health Development Agency, public health observatories and the Food Standards Agency. The latter issued advice about nutrition and tasked food producers with making their products healthier.
In 2004 agreed a target to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity in under-11s by 2010.
Banned advertising of unhealthy products on children’s TV, brought in the Healthy Start scheme and free fruit and vegetables for children aged between four and six. Set up the School Food Trust to advise on making school meals healthier.
Gordon Brown (Labour), 2007-2010
Set a target of reducing the percentage of overweight and obese children to 2000 levels by 2020. Said that keeping to a healthy weight remained “the responsibility of individuals first”. Introduced the £75m Change4Life healthy eating campaign aimed at parents. Put £1.3bn into improving school food and school sport.
Coalition (Tory/Liberal Democrat), 2010-2015
Launched a public health strategy. But austerity led to major cuts to the public health grant received by local councils and also to school sport and healthy eating programmes.
Through its responsibility deal, the coalition urged food manufacturers to do more to ensure their products contained less fat, salt and sugar.
Set up Public Health England to oversee improvement in public health, including obesity.
David Cameron (Conservative), 2015-2016
Announced in April 2016 the creation of the soft drinks industry levy – the “sugar tax” – as a way of prompting manufacturers to cut the amount of sugar in their products. Tax was introduced by Theresa May in 2018.
Theresa May (Conservative), 2016-2019
Published three childhood obesity strategies in three years. Set a “national ambition” to halve childhood obesity but did not specify a date. Michael Gove, May’s environment secretary, commissioned the Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby to undertake a review of food policy, though few recommendations were acted on.
Boris Johnson (Conservative), 2019-2022
Prompted by a spell in intensive care with Covid-19 and his recognition of the links between obesity and the disease, Johnson in 2020 promised to introduce a raft of policies. They included restricting advertising of foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) on television before the 9pm watershed; limiting use of buy-one-get-one-free styled price promotions; and controlling where HFSS foods could be displayed in stores. However, only the last of those three policies has been implemented. The others were delayed.
