Health and Vitality

Low- or no-sugar
When it comes to healthy eating, low-sugar and sugar-free are far and away the qualities UK consumers look for in a product. GfK asked 23,000 consumers online in 17 countries how important certain factors are, from a given list, when…
Foods labelled as ‘meals’ rather than ‘snacks’ prevent overeating
Marketing food as a “snack” leads to increased consumption and continued overeating, according to new research published in the journal Appetite. Eighty people were asked to eat a pasta pot. This was either labelled as a “snack” or “meal”, or…
Sugaring the Brexit pill
Britain’s sugar policy is a contradictory mess – but leaving the EU is a chance to bring agriculture and health goals into line. By Professor Jack Winkler. The UK government is drowning in dissent, divisions, plots and power struggles. The…
Restaurants fuelling obesity with sugar-laden kids meals
Puddings with three times the daily sugar allowance and poor availability of fruit and veg are examples of “continuing poor practice” amongst many high street restaurants when it comes to children’s meals. Using information from secret diner families, the Soil…
Childhood obesity: meet the new plan, same as the old plan
The government’s new research unit looks suspiciously like it was cobbled together to head off claims of inaction, writes David Burrows. Twelve months ago the UK government slipped out its long-awaited plan to tackle childhood obesity. The document represented “the…
Does fat deserve a retrial?
Why defenders are fighting to clear the reputation of a nutrient they say has been unfairly blamed for the obesity epidemic. By Nick Hughes. As sugar begins a long sentence for its role in the obesity epidemic a campaign is…
EU health ministers call for more effective policies to tackle childhood obesity
Europe’s health ministers believe there is “ample evidence” to justify tougher restrictions junk food advertising, especially online. Members of the employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs council (EPSCO) also criticised the self-regulatory approach favoured by many countries. In new…
Brits baffled by sugar tax
Nearly eight in 10 people are aware that there’s a new tax on sugar being introduced but they don’t have a clue what products will be covered. In a survey of 539 adults by Nielsen, not one correctly identified that…
EU rules on junk food marketing watered down
Plans to revise the rules around advertising of junk food to children have been watered down by the European Parliament, according to campaigners. The audiovisual media services directive (AVMSD) is a package of laws covering television advertising and shopping, sponsorship…
Politicians side-tracked by sugar taxes
Politicians have been distracted by sugar taxes rather than led the fight to tackle obesity from all angles, according to Richard Dobbs, senior partner at McKinsey and lead author of his firm’s seminal report on obesity in 2014. Dobbs claimed…