Government Approach to Childhood Obesity: Regulating Out-of-Home Calorie Intake and Curtailing Junk Food Advertisements in the UK
The UK Government has recently announced a series of proposals aimed at combating childhood obesity, with significant implications for the restaurant, takeaway, and retail food markets. The latest video in the series discusses the proposed measures and their potential impact on these industries.
The video, published on 23rd July 2018, features food experts Katie Vickery and Katrina Anderson, who delve into the details of the government's plans. The video is part of an ongoing series, with the next 'food' interview assured for those who register.
The government's proposals include mandatory health food sales reporting and targets for healthier products, restrictions and potential repeal of product placement and multibuy promotions such as Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF), calorie counting on menus, and an updated nutrient profiling model with a stricter definition of high fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) products.
Large retailers and food businesses will be required to report health food sales transparently and will have mandatory targets to increase the sales proportion of healthier (less fattening) products. This move towards outcome-focused regulation is expected to incentivize companies to reformulate existing products, introduce new healthier options, or modify customer incentives and loyalty schemes to meet targets.
While initially there were restrictions on the placement of HFSS products in stores and multibuy deals, the government now signals intent to repeal these restrictions in favor of the sales targets approach. This suggests a move away from direct control of where products can be placed or how deals can be offered, focusing instead on overall sales composition and reformulation to reduce obesity.
Calorie information on menus, particularly in restaurants and takeaways, is being emphasized as part of creating an environment where consumers can make healthier choices more easily. This aligns with the broader goal of helping parents and children "make the healthy choice the easy choice" by improving transparency and accountability across food service sectors.
The nutrient profiling model that defines HFSS products will be updated and made stricter, likely bringing more products under regulation, including advertising restrictions. This signals that restaurants, takeaways, and retailers may face tighter scrutiny over the healthiness of their offerings, pushing them to reformulate products to avoid being classified as HFSS.
The government's approach moves towards outcome-based regulation with flexibility for businesses in how they meet targets. This could change marketing tactics, incentivizing healthier promotions and reducing the prevalence of unhealthy product promotions that disproportionately appeal to children. It also pressures the industry to shift product ranges over time rather than just comply with point-of-sale restrictions.
In summary, these measures aim to create a market environment that encourages healthier food production and consumption, reducing childhood obesity rates without relying solely on "shaming" or individual willpower. The focus on measurable outcomes and business flexibility may facilitate industry buy-in while addressing public health priorities.
For those interested in staying updated on these developments, registration is available for retail and consumer updates, including food regulations. Sharing options for the video are available on LinkedIn, Facebook, and email.
The UK Government's video featuring Katie Vickery and Katrina Anderson discusses proposed policies for combating childhood obesity, which includes mandatory health food sales reporting and targets, calorie counting on menus, and stricter nutrient profiling of high fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) products. Large retailers and food businesses will be expected to report health food sales transparently, incentivizing them to reformulate products or introduce new healthier options. This approach aims to create an environment that encourages healthier food production and consumption, focusing on overall sales composition rather than direct control of product placement. For updates on these developments, registration is available for retail and consumer updates on food regulations.
