Johnson bans buy one get one free offers amid war on obesity
Boris Johnson has banned buy one get one free offers and introduced a 9pm watershed on junk food advertising as the Prime Minister wages war on obesity amid the coronavirus crisis.
GPs will prescribe Weight Watchers diet plans to overweight patients, as the government attempts to get every overweight Brit to lose 5 lbs. Johnson has said the new plans for Britain, which is the second fattest country in Europe after Malta, will spare the NHS £100m.
Doctors will also be told to prescribe exercise and social activities, and an NHS 12-week weight loss app will be launched later today.
The government will ban junk food advertising before the 9pm watershed on TV and consult on plans to ban it outright online. Promotions on junk food such as buy one, get one free offers and prominent displays in supermarkets and shops will also be banned.
Cafés, restaurants and takeaways that are part of chains employing more than 250 people will be forced to display calorie counts on their menus.
The government will also consult on calorie labelling on alcoholic drinks and a traffic light system on packaged foods to highlight unhealthiness.
Health secretary Matt Hancock today said coronavirus was the “deadly wake-up call” Britain needed to tackle obesity.
Writing in the Telegraph, Hancock said: “If everyone who is overweight lost 5 lbs, it could save the NHS over £100million over the next five years. And more importantly, given the link between obesity and coronavirus, losing weight could be life-saving.”
Obesity is estimated to cost the NHS more than £10bn each year due to its strong correlation with diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
The move marks a sharp U-turn for the Prime Minister, who once lambasted government intervention over the public’s diet as “nanny statism”.
It is thought Johnson made the change after his own experience of being admitted to intensive care with Covid-19.
Johnson today said: “Losing weight is hard but with some small changes we can all feel fitter and healthier. If we all do our bit, we can reduce our health risks and protect ourselves against coronavirus — as well as taking pressure off the NHS.”
A new advertising campaign will also attempt to shock people into losing weight by showing them health complications associated with obesity.
Research suggests excess weight can almost double the risk of dying from coronavirus.
Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “This is a landmark day for the nation’s health. Being overweight or obese puts people at risk of many diseases, including 13 different types of cancer.
“Endless adverts and promotions for junk food give us cravings and normalise bad diets, which is why we have been campaigning relentlessly for a TV watershed, online restrictions and multi-buy ban.”