Force-fed junk food? British families being 'MANIPULATED' into eating unhealthy meals

BRITISH families are being "MANIPULATED" into eating more and more junk food, a dramatic new report into our eating habits has claimed.

 

The Food Foundation claim we may not have as much choice in our food choices as we think

 

The report released today suggests families may think they have lots of choice about what they eat, but our choices are constantly and systemically steered towards unhealthy foods.

They make the shock claim that "a manipulating and incentivising food system" pushes us towards food that is not good for us or our children. 

It is too difficult for typical British families to choose a healthy diet, the new report by the independent Food Foundation concludes, having analysed the food system through the lens of a typical British family.

Laura Sandys, Chair of the Food Foundation and former Conservative MP, said: “We have to put a halt to this growing obesity time bomb with kids now becoming diabetic in their teens. In any other policy area, children becoming chronically ill would be stopped immediately. 

 

Unhealthy foods are often much cheaper than healthier options

 

“From seat belts to toy safety we keep our children safe but we have a blind spot when it comes to food. Unhealthy diets have outcomes that we wouldn’t allow from any other business sector.

“If the Government doesn’t make the food sector become more responsible we might need to consider imposing an ‘Irresponsibility Deal’ and penalise the sector for health outcomes that are directly associated with poor long term diets.”

According to the report, highly processed foods which can be damaging to health make up over half the diet of typical families. 

On top of this, healthy foods are three times cheaper as a source of calories than healthy foods exacerbating our unhealthy food choices. Worryingly, almost all a child’s daily sugar allowance are contained in one UK brand leading yoghurt, yet it’s cheaper than a plain natural yoghurt, reveal the findings.

 

Families spend nearly a fifth of their budget on food

 

The organisation also found families spend nearly a fifth of their budget on food, but throw away the equivalent of six meals per week.

They discovered advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and/or salt is unregulated and widespread during family TV viewing times and through the internet. 

The team behind the report looked at an average family’s diet and typical shopping basket, the implications for health, and the drivers of food choice and food price. 

The report called for cross-government action to curb the worst effects of the food system and to use existing policy instruments to make healthy-eating easier.

  

Processed foods make up over half the diet of typical families

 

It calls for specific action on the following: 

1. Get rid of the distortions in the cost of food that favour unhealthy food and discriminate against healthier options, and introduce a tax on sugary drinks.

2. Develop a new marketing code to prevent advertising, sponsorship and promotions of foods high in fat, sugar and/or salt through all non-broadcast channels, in supermarkets and eating out establishments. Ban TV advertising of these foods before the 9pm watershed. 

3. Clarify planning policy to prevent unhealthy eating-out establishments near schools and enforce the Government Buying Standards to help drive up standards for all food service suppliers. 

4. Set upper limits for fat and sugar, in addition to salt, in processed foods. 

5. Set standards around transparency and publicly available information about products on sale (particularly processed food and fresh meat) so people know what they are eating and how it is produced. 

Anna Taylor the Executive Director of the Food Foundation and former Head of Nutrition at DFID added: “Our diets are now the greatest threat to our health but acting now makes good economic sense too. Tackling obesity could deliver a return of £17billion a year, including saving the NHS £800million a year. This problem cannot be addressed by piecemeal tinkering with the food environment, it needs deliberate, clear-sighted government leadership which looks at the food system as a whole, and uses policy to make healthy and sustainable eating easier for everyday people.”