Liz Truss has ordered an official review of the anti-obesity strategy which could lead to lifting many of the sugar regulations.
Sources told The Guardian that the aim of the review was “deregulatory in focus” and is expected to lead to the scrapping of many policies Liz Truss has inherited from Boris Johnson’s government.
The review will scrutinize evidence surrounding the obesity policy and “possibly ditching calorie counts on menus” which became mandatory in April. Also expected to be covered in the review is scrutiny of the 2018 sugar tax.
Speaking to The Guardian a source said, “There doesn’t seem to be any appetite from Thérèse [Coffey – the new health secretary] for nanny state stuff.”
The new legislation could have a significant impact on NHS services. Already obesity costs the NHS an estimated £6.1 billion each year and causes many subsequent conditions effecting day-to-day life.
Katherine Jenner, director of The Obesity Health Alliance, said to The Guardian: “We are deeply concerned. It would be reckless to waste government and business time and money rowing back on these obesity policies, which are evidence-based and already in law. These policies are popular with the public, who want it to be easier to make healthier choices.”
Mhairi Brown, policy and public affairs manager at Action on Sugar and Action on Salt says, "Without doubt, the soft drinks industry levy demonstrated best practice for both business and for the nation's health (especially those from the most deprived areas). In fact, as a result of the levy, 48 million kilos of sugar was removed per year (2015-2019) from the nation’s diet and a whopping £1 billion has been raised to fund important activities like school breakfasts for vulnerable children. Measures like this must now be championed and protected by the government to help prevent the unnecessary deaths and suffering of thousands of people, caused by unhealthy diets, whilst saving the NHS billions of pounds a year."
Linda Greenwall, founder of the Dental Wellness Trust charity says, “The soft drinks levy has proved successful in driving reformulation, especially given that sugary drinks are one of the main contributors to Britain’s tooth decay crisis – especially among children. However, it’s evident that more must be done. Consuming excessive amounts of sugar, especially in soft drinks, is one of the main reasons why we, as dentists, are seeing record numbers of children who are having multiple fillings or extractions and this must be recognised by the government as critical an issue as obesity."