💬@BorisJohnson is right to focus on this - with almost 2 out of 3 adults in England either overweight or obese we’re stacking up avoidable serious health problems.
Personal responsibility is important - but with a publicly funded NHS, obesity costs us over £6bn a year 1/8
Losing weight means eating fewer calories and burning more through ⬆️ activity.
Simple to say ➡️ more difficult to do
Good to give people more tools to help 2/8
So I welcome the plan to get large pub & restaurant chains to put calories on their menus - will make it easier for people to make informed choices
Same with calorie labelling on alcohol 🍷 & 🍺 3/8
The NHS has some great resources to help 👇
nhs.uk/better-health/
This Better Health message is key - if we can’t persuade people they want to lose weight to improve their own health then nothing will change 4/8
The sugary drinks tax did get companies to reformulate their products
Well done to those that led the way on this like @LRSuntory, based in my own constituency at Coleford, who cut sugar by half in many products 5/8
But there is no evidence I’m aware of which shows that this ⬇️ in sugar has reduced obesity
What’s important for weight loss is not individual items but someone’s overall diet
So I’m sceptical that ad bans and restrictions on offers will make much, if any, difference 6/8
Finally, more exercise would be beneficial.
Whilst getting everyone to the gym might not be achievable, most people could do more regular exercise 7/8
The key is to keep doing it long term so choose something simple that fits with your lifestyle.
You might be surprised at the difference a 10% reduction in portion sizes and extra walking might make to your health! 8/8
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