Steps to reduce 20 per cent of calories announced

As part of the government’s strategy to cut childhood and adult obesity, Public Health England has announced new steps to cut people’s excessive calorie intake.

Reports show that overweight or obese boys and girls consume up to 500 and 290 calories too many each day respectively, therefore suffering consequences from bullying and low self-esteem in childhood, to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers as adults. The NHS spends around £6 billion a year treating obesity-related conditions.

The latest One You campaign, launched by PHE, encourages adults to consume 400 calories at breakfast, and 600 for lunch and dinner, after finding that some adults consume 200 to 300 calories in excess each day.

To reduce calories, the industry and public are being encouraged to change the recipe of products, reduce portion size and encourage consumers to purchase lower calorie products.

It is believed that if the 20 per cent target is met within five years, over 35,000 premature deaths could be prevented and around £9 billion in NHS healthcare and social care costs could be saved over a 25 year period.

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE, said: “The simple truth is on average we need to eat less. Children and adults routinely eat too many calories and it’s why so many are overweight or obese. Industry can help families by finding innovative ways to lower the calories in the food we all enjoy and promoting UK business leadership on the world stage in tackling obesity.”