Adverts that promote unhealthy foods during Advertising unhealthy foods during family TV shows should be banned, MPs have said, as they repeated calls for the Government to introduce a “sugar tax” on soft drinks. All proceeds would go towards helping children with the highest risk of obesity.
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But while a sugar tax would certainly help to improve the public’s health, it is only one measure, and will not be enough on its own.
“We urge the Prime Minister to make a positive and lasting difference to children’s health and life chances through his childhood obesity strategy”, says the report .
Oliver is taking part in a discussion at parliament, created to coincide with the publication of the committee’s report, ahead of a debate on a tax for sugary drinks. A quarter of the most disadvantaged children in England are now obese by the time they leave primary school. These complications are not only personally devastating to all those involved but also continue to put great pressure on an already stretched NHS.
Without a doubt, reversing the rising tide of obesity and Type 2 diabetes is a huge challenge.
The Select Committee’s findings come as health lobbying group Action on Sugar began its inaugural “National Sugar Awareness Week”, which runs from 30 November to 6 December.
A report by the committee calls for a 20 per cent tax on full-sugar soft drinks, to fund childhood obesity prevention.
They want a 20 per cent sugar tax on soft drinks, which a coalition of 19 medical bodies and charities is also calling for in a separate report today.
“Raising awareness of healthy living can only be a good thing”.
“If enacted together all of these measures will provide a supportive environment to enable members of the public to live long and healthy lives”.
AoS campaign manager and nutritionist Jenny Rosborough said: “Given that the food and drink we consume is the biggest cause of premature death and disability in the UK, Cameron must show us that he is making the battle against obesity an absolute priority”.
Responding to the report, director of the Food and Drink Federation, Ian Wright, has questioned the committee’s claims about the efficacy of taxing sugar. Buy one, get one free advertising deals would also face “strong controls” and supermarkets would be banned from placing candies and less healthy foods at the end of aisles and at the checkout, a psychological tactic commonly used to increase sales of those particular items.
The food and drink industry says a “sugar tax” would penalise consumers. “Yet, there is no evidence worldwide that such a tax has an effect on obesity”.
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In its recommendations, the committee said: “We recommend that clear nutritional guidelines should be published, setting out food standards recommended for packed lunches as well as food supplied by schools”.
