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Government delays publication of plans for reduction in UK's sugar intake Government delays publication of plans for reduction in UK's sugar intake
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Ministers have shelved the publication of a major report by their own health advisers on tackling the obesity crisis through controversial moves such as a tax on sugary drinks, crackdown on two-for-one offers on sweet treats in supermarkets and the reformulation of foodstuffs. Ministers shelved the publication of a report by their own health advisers on whether it is possible to tackle the obesity crisis through controversial moves such as taxing sugary drinks or banning two-for-one offers on sweet treats in supermarkets.
Public Health England was due on Friday to publish a detailed review of the evidence, commissioned by the government, behind pursuing a raft of measures to curb the nation’s dangerously high intake of sugar. Public Health England was due on Friday to publish a detailed assessment of the likely success of a range of measures to curb the nation’s intake of sugar, which health experts say is too high.
But its year-long examination of the evidence for 23 different sugar reduction policies has been delayed, prompting claims that a reckless and “disgraceful decision” is an “appalling, retrograde step”. But the agency’s year-long examination of the evidence for 23 different sugar reduction policies has been delayed, the Department of Health confirmed, prompting claims from the health lobby that minsters had taken a reckless and “disgraceful decision” that is an “appalling, retrograde step”.
Malcolm Clark, co-ordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign, an alliance of health, education and children’s organisations, said: “The government’s scrapping of Public Health England’s recommendations on sugar reduction looks like deplorable complacency in the face of a health epidemic. We hope this will not turn out to be an anti-science government.”
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A government spokesperson said tackling obesity was a subject of great concern, but indicated there was no timetable for publishing the PHE report. “We have asked for expert advice about the amount of sugar we should be eating, which will be published soon, and this will be taken into account as we continue to work on our childhood obesity strategy,” the spokesperson added.
PHE has also been examining the evidence for:PHE has also been examining the evidence for:
The Department of Health, which commissioned PHE to undertake the work last year, confirmed that the planned release of the evidence paper had been called off.
PHE’s findings will now be used to help draw up the government’s promised new childhood obesity strategy, due by the end of the year, a spokeswoman said.PHE’s findings will now be used to help draw up the government’s promised new childhood obesity strategy, due by the end of the year, a spokeswoman said.
PHE’s document was due to be published on the same day as the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) issued a final report backing up its view, originally expressed last year, that everyone needed to reduce the amount of calories they obtained from sugar from 10% to 5%. It was expected to provide the detail on how that objective could be achieved.PHE’s document was due to be published on the same day as the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) issued a final report backing up its view, originally expressed last year, that everyone needed to reduce the amount of calories they obtained from sugar from 10% to 5%. It was expected to provide the detail on how that objective could be achieved.
The government’s scrapping of PHE’s recommendations looks like deplorable complacency in the face of a health epidemicThe government’s scrapping of PHE’s recommendations looks like deplorable complacency in the face of a health epidemic
The DH has decided to produce a strategy to tackle soaring childhood obesity by NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens, who has called extreme overweight “the new smoking” and criticised parents for letting their children eat junk food. The DH has decided to produce a strategy to tackle soaring childhood obesity by NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens, who has called being extremely overweight “the new smoking” and criticised parents for letting their children eat junk food.
Of the many measures it was looking, it is unclear which ones PHE planned to recommend. But the postponement spares the government the prospect of another clash with the medical and public health professions over its opposition to a tax on sugary drinks and reliance on voluntary deals with food firms to help curb obesity. It has already rejected the British Medical Association’s call this week for a 20% tax on sugary drinks to deter consumption. Of the many measures it was looking at, it is unclear which ones PHE planned to recommend. But the postponement spares the government the prospect of another clash with the medical and public health professions over its opposition to a tax on sugary drinks and reliance on voluntary deals with food firms to help curb obesity. It has already rejected the British Medical Association’s call this week for a 20% tax on sugary drinks to deter consumption.
“The government’s scrapping of Public Health England’s recommendations on sugar reduction looks like deplorable complacency in the face of a health epidemic. We hope this will not turn out to be an anti-science government”, said Malcolm Clark, co-ordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign, an alliance of health, education and children’s organisations.
Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said: “I cannot believe that this PHE report on sugar has been scrapped. It’s extremely worrying. It shows that all the promises made during the election campaign to address childhood obesity are essentially being thrown on the scrapheap.”Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said: “I cannot believe that this PHE report on sugar has been scrapped. It’s extremely worrying. It shows that all the promises made during the election campaign to address childhood obesity are essentially being thrown on the scrapheap.”
Jane Landon, deputy director of the UK Health Forum, a charity which helped PHE draw up the document, said it was “unhelpful” and “made no sense” to publish PHE’s action plan separately from SACN’s own report.Jane Landon, deputy director of the UK Health Forum, a charity which helped PHE draw up the document, said it was “unhelpful” and “made no sense” to publish PHE’s action plan separately from SACN’s own report.
Luciana Berger, the shadow public health minister, said: “If these reports are true, then there can be no justification for scrapping an independent review. If ministers fail to publish this evidence, people will conclude that the government is putting the interests of food and drink companies above the health of the nation.”Luciana Berger, the shadow public health minister, said: “If these reports are true, then there can be no justification for scrapping an independent review. If ministers fail to publish this evidence, people will conclude that the government is putting the interests of food and drink companies above the health of the nation.”
A government spokesperson said: “Tackling obesity is of great concern to this government, and we have already committed to producing a childhood obesity strategy. There is no silver bullet but we do want to see industry go further to cut the amount of sugar in food and drinks so that people can make healthier choices.
“We have asked for expert advice about the amount of sugar we should be eating, which will be published soon, and this will be taken into account as we continue to work on our childhood obesity strategy.”
A PHE spokesperson said: “We are finalising our evidence package and will send it to the government shortly. We will publish it later in the summer.”A PHE spokesperson said: “We are finalising our evidence package and will send it to the government shortly. We will publish it later in the summer.”