Experts in the food policy and regulation sector have welcomed the decision by the WHO for the UK to lead the new Sugar and Calorie Reduction Network for the organisation’s European region. Launching in spring 2022 to tackle the growing public health issues presented by the increase in obesity around the world, the UK was chosen to spearhead the new programme following the success of its recent home campaigns to reduce sugar in food and drink products.
Chris Whitehouse, Chairman and Managing Director of Whitehouse Communications, which specialises in UK and EU food regulation and public health policy and successfully re-branded and led the JanUary campaign for Obesity Awareness Week to encourage the British public to improve their health, comments:
“There is no better choice than the UK to bring together nations and take a pan-European approach to the growing health crisis of obesity. Over the past years, the UK has taken a proactive and practical approach which takes the necessarily holistic look at the causes of dangerous weight gain – such as lack of early nutrition education and access to sports and exercise equipment – and, therefore, the preventative measures required to confront this.
We hope to see a wide range of measures and policies created which reflects the complex and sensitive nature of obesity: an approach which is as accessible and educationally resourceful as it is empathetic and understanding towards contributing issues such as mental health, lesser-recognised illnesses such as Binge Eating Disorder and PCOS and the ever-prevalent problem of food poverty, which allows all consumers and food and drink producers to carve out a healthier future.”