Strong public support for government action against obesity
A new survey by Public Health Wales shows strong public support in Wales for government action to make the food we buy healthier.
In the survey, 57 per cent of people agree that governments should use financial tools like taxes to reduce sugar in foods with high levels. Twenty nine per cent disagree.
Eighty one per cent also think that healthy drink options, such as water or milk, should be the default option for children’s meal deal offers. Seventy per cent say that advertising of unhealthy food and drinks to children should be banned.
Eighty four per cent of people say they intend to take action within the next 12 months to achieve or maintain a healthy weight - but 34 per cent say that too many temptations might stop them from taking the action.
The new findings come as governments in Wales, Scotland and England consider the next steps to make food environments healthier.
They also follow a recent publication by the Institute for Government which highlighted how fears about the perception of ‘nanny statism’ had meant that the policies needed to help tackle obesity had not been put in place.
In Wales, around 60 per cent of adults (16+) are overweight or obese with a quarter of those classified as obese. Around a third of children are now overweight or obese by the time they are five years old.
Dr Ilona Johnson, Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Wales, said:
“Obesity is a very serious problem in Wales, putting our people at increased risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease or stroke affecting our health and wellbeing.
“We know that people want to be a healthy weight, but feel that their environment is working against them, making healthy choices more difficult. We need to make it easier to make healthy choices.
“The good news from this survey is that people in Wales want change - and they want governments to drive that change. The survey shows a clear majority in favour of action on using financial levers, customer information, and advertising restrictions to improve the food environment.
“Obesity policies have often focussed on individual responsibility. However we know from the evidence that policies targeting the food environment are effective, and this survey tells us that people in Wales feel we should be making those changes.”
Other key findings from the survey include:
58 per cent think restaurants should be required to give information on the calorie content of foods so that people can make an informed choice when eating out.
63 per cent agree that takeaways should be required to give information on the calorie content of foods so that people can make an informed choice when ordering.
83 per cent say that governments should use financial tools to reduce the price of healthier foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables.
82 per cent say governments should apply age restrictions for buying food and drinks that are labelled as not suitable for children.
Planning laws should be used to restrict the number of fast-food restaurants near schools (63 per cent agree), and to restrict the number of unhealthy food takeaways and shops near schools (60 per cent agree).
Time to Talk Public Health is a nationally representative panel of 1,007 Welsh residents aged 16+ years established by Public Health Wales to enable regular public engagement to inform public health policy and practice.
Panel members are invited to participate in regular surveys and provide insight into key public health issues.
If you are interested in being a panel member, please sign up here.
Case study
Dave Quinn, 31, from Cardiff, is coach for a Man v Fat football league in Bridgend. He says he has struggled with his weight because of the way that unhealthy food is sold and marketed.
Dave said: “A lot of the guys struggle to eat healthier options because they don’t get signposted to them. Nine times out of ten, the biggest factor in trying to lose weight is struggling with the stuff that’s pushed and marketed at them.”
Dave said the issue has directly affected him. “You walk in somewhere, and the first thing you see is ‘get this for a cheap price’. The unhealthy option is the first thing you grab when you’re in a rush, and you take it back to eat it at your desk at work. You end up consuming far more calories than you usually would.”
“I’ll stop for a coffee on the way into work, and pick up a sandwich, crisps, maybe a bit of chocolate,” said Dave. “It’s definitely a ‘meal deal culture’, with unhealthy options being the easiest to get hold of, and the best value for the price. People don’t realise they can get a healthier option because it’s less convenient to find.”