“Obesity is a multi-faceted and complex issue, with various causal factors. There is no easy solution and every intervention needs to be carefully considered. There is no evidence that a watershed would have a meaningful impact, with the Government predicting it would only deliver a 1.74 calorie per day reduction in children’s diets. Whereas there are a number of global and national examples that prove the value of targeted holistic intervention.
As such, the latest sensationalist release from the Obesity Health Alliance succeeds only in over-simplifying the issue and distorting the evidence. It does little to further the debate in a meaningful way. It’s time for campaigners, industry and government to work together to deliver the sort of targeted, holistic intervention which will get children active, improve nutritional education for families and support behavioural change.”
James Barge, Director of Policy, ISBA