Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Deferred
Paragraph: 87
Implement population-level policies to tackle obesity and immediately restrict unhealthy food multibuy deals.
Recommendation
We urge the Government to implement population-level policies that ensure healthier choices and lifestyles are made a priority in tackling obesity rates, rather than schemes that focus solely on weight loss and can engender weight stigma and result in adverse health outcomes. We were disappointed by the Government’s delay in restricting multibuy deals for foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar–including buy one get one free. We urge the Government to reconsider this decision and to implement this measure immediately.
Government Response Summary
The government deflects the recommendation by detailing the National Institute for Health Research's (NIHR) existing portfolio of research on weight management and policy evaluations, and states that NIHR welcomes funding applications for various health topics but does not ring-fence funds.
Paragraph Reference:
87
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
NIHR has a large portfolio of research that seeks to understand how best to support people to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. This includes: research on weight management interventions for individuals with unwanted weight large-scale evaluations of population-level policies to support healthier eating such as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy assessment of local policies such as the ban on advertising of food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar on the Transport for London network NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including tackling weight stigma and discrimination, and lifestyle interventions to support health. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of: the importance of the topic to patients, and health and care services value for money scientific quality