Boris Johnson vows that obesity campaign will not be ‘bossy or nannying’
Boris Johnson has vowed that the government’s new obesity drive will not be “excessively bossy or nannying” in a video describing his own weight loss efforts.
The government’s new plans to reduce obesity in the UK will include a new junk food advertising ban, forcing restaurants to display nutrition information on menus, a ban on two-for-one deals and a ban on selling crisps and chocolate at checkout counters.
Doctors will also be told to prescribe exercise and social activities, and an NHS 12-week weight loss app will be launched later today.
There will not be an extension to already introduced sugar taxes, despite speculation to the contrary.
Downing Street released a video today featuring the Prime Minister talking about his weight issues, saying he had “wanted to lose weight for ages and ages” and that he was “too fat” when he went into intensive care for coronavirus.
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However, he also tried to assure critics of the new measures – many of which are conservative commentators – that the new drive would not be conducted in an overly moralising tone.
“What we are doing now with our better health strategy is just trying to help people a little bit to bring their weight down,” he said.
“Not in an excessively bossy or nannying way, I hope.
“We want this one to be really sympathetic to people, to understand the difficulties that people face with their weight, the struggles that many, many people face to lose weight, and just to be helpful.”
Johnson has said the new plans for Britain, which is the second fattest country in Europe after Malta, will spare the NHS £100m.