!
Join our Voices Dispatches email to receive a comprehensive summary of the top opinions from the week!
UBY
Register for our complimentary weekly Voices newsletter
A study using a model suggests that over the course of the next twenty years, displaying calorie information on menus in all restaurants, fast food places, cafes, pubs, and takeaways in England could prevent more than 9,000 deaths related to heart disease.
According to researchers, following the existing Government policy that applies solely to major food establishments with 250 or more workers, approximately 730 deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases could be avoided between 2022 and 2041.
According to a recent study published in Lancet Public Health, implementing the current policy would decrease obesity rates in England by 0.31 percentage points over the next 20 years. However, if the policy were fully implemented across all food businesses, this reduction could be as high as 2.65 percentage points.
The study highlighted the importance of the Government expanding this policy to cover all food establishments in order to promote better public health outcomes as a part of a larger strategy to address obesity in England.
More than 25% of adults in England are currently affected by obesity.
Martin O’Flaherty, professor in epidemiology at the University of Liverpool, said: “Over one in four adults in England are currently living with obesity, with trends suggesting this is set to increase.
According to our research, the current law requiring calorie information on menus is expected to save hundreds of lives from cardiovascular disease in the next two decades. However, there is potential for a significantly greater impact if the Government sets more ambitious goals in addressing the obesity crisis in England and expands the policy to include all food establishments outside of the home.
In April of 2022, the English Government enforced a mandatory policy of displaying calorie information for businesses that serve food, as a part of their national plan to combat obesity.
The objective is to assist customers in making more nutritious selections while also addressing the country’s increasing issue with obesity.
Wales and Scotland are both contemplating similar laws.
The researchers examined the potential effects on obesity and cardiovascular disease of the current policy, which affects about 18% of food establishments, to gain a better understanding of the expected impact of calories on menus in the future.
According to Dr. Zoe Colombet, a professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Liverpool, being obese heightens the chances of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes, both of which are linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Thus, decreasing the prevalence of obesity will lead to a decrease in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and, over time, other health conditions linked to obesity such as certain types of cancer and joint disorders.
The group discovered that if no menu calorie labelling policy is implemented, approximately 830,000 deaths related to cardiovascular disease would happen by 2041.
According to the model, the current policy could prevent approximately 730 deaths in the next two decades. However, if this policy was applied to all food establishments in England, an estimated 9,200 deaths could be avoided, which is nearly 13 times higher.
According to our findings, including calorie information on menus for all English food establishments outside of home may be significant in future government efforts to help individuals make healthier decisions and address obesity.
According to Dr. Colombet, our findings indicate that including calorie information on menus for all English food establishments outside of the home could be a beneficial step in government initiatives to assist individuals in making healthier decisions to combat obesity.
“However, a single policy is insufficient to address the obesity problem in England.”
“We encourage the Government to continue with, and strengthen, the England obesity strategy with a wide range of policies, such as calorie labelling, tackling junk food marketing, and the soft drinks industry levy, which will both reduce obesity and narrow the shocking health inequalities gap in our society.”
Additionally, she emphasized the importance of recognizing the financial impact on small companies, and proposed the establishment of support systems to aid in the implementation and supervision of the policy.
The study’s authors also mentioned that their research did not examine other potential areas of policy influence, including eating disorders.
According to Eric Robinson, a psychology professor at the University of Liverpool, policy makers must take into account various elements when making decisions. Additionally, further research is necessary to assess the policy’s cost-effectiveness, effects on consumers and businesses, and potential unintended drawbacks, such as an increase in eating disorders.
According to Dr. Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, it is crucial to thoroughly assess the feasibility of potential public health policies through modeling before implementing them.
According to him, there are additional research findings that imply displaying calorie information may result in higher consumption because it is perceived as a more cost-effective option.
Dr. Mellor emphasized the potential for calorie labeling on menus to have the opposite effect. Consideration of the overall nutritional value of meals and their place in a balanced diet is crucial.
It’s not wise to only consider the calorie content of a food when determining its healthfulness.
“The source is independent.co.uk.”
