The problem with the UK’s sweet tooth

Poor nutrition is a leading cause of mortality worldwide and a preventable risk factor for the four main types of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs); cardiovascular disease, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Findings from a study which looked at the health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, by evaluating their consumption of major foods and nutrients, concluded that they “affected people regardless of age, sex and sociodemographic development of their place of residence”.

The results clearly showed the need for “coordinated global efforts to improve the quality of the human diet” while recognising the “complexity of dietary behaviours”. So, for action to be effective it must be targeted. In the UK, public health campaigns around nutrition, such as Change4Life, have tended to target obesity. Obesity is a significant public health burden across all four countries and the latest available figures for England showed that 67 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women were either overweight or obese. Worryingly, 20 per cent of Year 6 children (ages 10-11) were also classified as obese. Being overweight or obese is a key, modifiable risk factor for all NCDs.