The King's Fund comments on measures in the government’s forthcoming NHS 10 Year Plan to tackle obesity through incentivising healthier food choices

Commenting on measures in the government’s forthcoming NHS 10 Year Plan to tackle obesity through incentivising healthier food choices, Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund said: 

'We welcome the ambition in these plans to drive healthier eating, which recognises that our poor population health is an outlier in Europe and that there is an urgent need to address our shocking childhood obesity rates. It is encouraging to see government willing to take bold measures and use fiscal levers such as regulation to drive behaviour change – we know from the success of the ‘sugar tax’ on soft drinks that this can work. However, it’s no silver bullet and must be part of a package of measures that also address the design of our neighbourhoods, density of fast food outlets and exposure to advertising – as well as funding local weight management services. 

'Retailers will welcome the freedom to innovate within headline measures – for example through product reformulation and store layout. But for this to succeed there needs to be a level playing field and clarity on the penalties for businesses that fail to act to meet the challenge.

'It will also be key to understand the reach and scope of these measures, particularly given that a lot of less healthy food and drink is purchased from local convenience shops and takeaways. The stark fact remains that unhealthy food is far cheaper and more readily available, and so unless this change is part of a wider, comprehensive strategy it will not be enough to support poorer communities where families simply can’t afford healthy food options. 

'Successive governments have produced obesity plans that have been watered down or failed to be implemented. We hope to see a firm commitment to transparency and accountability to delivering these changes as part of the government's reform plan to prevent ill health.'

Notes to editors

For further information, please contact The King's Fund media team on 020 7307 2585 or [email protected].

The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve people's health. Our vision is a world where everyone can live a healthy life. Our mission is to inspire hope and build confidence for positive change. We achieve this through expert insights and original research, developing leaders and their organisations, convening, and strategic, collaborative partnerships.