Obesity: Health Services

(asked on 3rd December 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government's policies on tackling obesity; what recent discussions he has had with health representatives in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland on the effectiveness of those policies; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Maggie Throup Portrait
Maggie Throup
This question was answered on 13th December 2021

Since the publication of chapter one of the Childhood Obesity Plan in 2016, the average sugar content of drinks subject to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy decreased by 43.7% between 2015 and 2019. There has been approximately a 13% reduction of sugar in breakfast cereals, yogurts and fromage frais.

We have introduced legislation on mandatory out-of-home calorie labelling for large restaurants, cafes and takeaways; restrictions on the promotion of less healthy foods by location and volume price in store and online; and restrictions on the advertising of less healthy foods on TV before 9pm and via online paid for advertising. We have also invested £100 million in healthy weight programmes including the expansion of weight management services and incentives. Officials in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities are in regular contact with the devolved administrations on measures in our healthy weight strategy.

Reticulating Splines