Since 1975, the prevalence of obesity among children & adolescents worldwide has quadrupled - with the UK having the highest rate of childhood obesity in Europe.
At a root level, obesity is caused by an energy imbalance & ‘modern’ living is at the front and centre of this issue.
If urbanisation & increasingly sedentary lifestyles are the kerosene-soaked rag, then years of calorie-dense diets fuelled increasingly by refined fat & sugar are the match to light it – leaving us with a public health crisis.
It’s been common knowledge for some time that obesity is a major risk factor for various life-threatening diseases – something which has been brutally brought to the fore with COVID-19.
This acted as a serious wake-up call for individuals, organizations and manufacturers alike to tackle the crisis.
If urbanisation & increasingly sedentary lifestyles are the kerosene-soaked rag, then years of calorie-dense diets fuelled increasingly by refined fat & sugar are the match to light it
But obesity is preventable – so, how do we prevent it?
Fundamentally, making healthier dietary choices available, affordable & accessible is key. Evidence has shown children from lower-income backgrounds are three times as likely to be obese compared to their most well off counterparts, so ensuring that nutritious food is accessible to all is vital in the solution.
The UK government’s ambitious aim of halving childhood obesity by 2030 has led to various legislative steps. The first major step was the introduction of a soft drinks industry levy in 2018. This successfully managed to decrease sugar consumption by 10% in the first year alone.
The sugar levy represents the most obvious legislative “stick” to the food & drink industry, although there have been a plethora of other initiatives including:
• Salt, fat, sugar & calorie reduction targets
• Marketing & advertising restrictions
• Standardized nutritional labelling
• Investment for schools to encourage healthier meals & physical activity
• Various apps such as Change4Life sugar smart app
However, most of these are not mandatory and therefore have a limited impact. Although some manufacturers and retailers have taken voluntary action through reformulation and promotional restrictions, stricter legislation on HFSS food and drink products is required for the scale of change required.
The government is enforcing restrictions around the promotional activity for products deemed as ‘less healthy’.
Nutrient Profiling Model
The 2004 Nutrient Profiling Model underpins the new legislation, by determining which foods and drinks are classed as ‘healthy’ or ‘less healthy’. The model assigns a score based on the sugar, fat, salt, fruit, veg & nut, fibre and protein content of the product. Those scoring 4 or more are deemed HFSS and will be subject to the following restrictions:
1. Ban on TV advertising before the 9 pm watershed and similar restrictions for online adverts
2. Ban on price promotions for volume sales e.g. Buy One Get One Free
3. Ban on promotion by location (checkouts, end of aisles and store entrances)
Who needs to take note?
The legislation applies to a range of food & drink sectors, covering a total of 15 categories, including milk drinks, breakfast cereals & ready meals.
It is hoped to help parents to make more informed decisions about the food and drinks they’re buying, alleviate pester power and protect children from junk food advertising.
It’s estimated these restrictions could cost the food industry up to £3 billion, with 26% of the retailer’s shelf space being impacted. However, this does offer opportunities for food manufacturers through either reformulating, re-branding, or re-positioning.
Whilst, the restrictions present challenges for manufacturers, there are many opportunities to be taken advantage of to ensure healthy dietary choices are made available, affordable & accessible.
Ingredient technology has evolved considerably in the last few years and improving nutritional profiles of products through reformulation is an effective way to meet new HFSS guidelines.
