UK, the sickest nation in Europe – will our new government make a difference?
It’s not very typical of me to include politics in my articles but since it’s only a short while since we had the general elections here in the UK and now have a new government, I’m sure you allow me to get just a tiny bit political. Food is politics after all! And our nation’s health is in tatters.
Britain is the sickest and heaviest nation in Europe
- 15 million people in the UK live with at least one chronic condition [source].
- 89% of UK deaths are estimated to be caused by non-communicable diseases (diseases that cannot be directly transmitted between people) [source].
- 63.8% of the adult population are overweight and 25.9% living with obesity [source].
- 1 in 5 kids in primary school are living with obesity [source].
- Obesity among 10-11 year olds has increased by 30% since 2006 [source].
- Type 2 diabetes among under 25s has increase by 22% in the past 5 years [source].
- On average, almost 60% of calories in the UK come from ultra-processed foods, and UPF calories can make up 70-100% of a young person, teen or baby’s calories [source] [source].
- Currently less than 5% of NHS spending is allocated to preventative healthcare [source].
So what do I expect our new government to do?
Based on the past, I’m not really holding my breath but a big changes are badly needed in our healthcare model, dietary guidelines, nutrition education and the whole food environment, in order to change the state of health of the nation.
We need a new prevention-led HEALTH-care system, rather than treatment-focused SICK-care.
The new government must step up and prioritise nutrition and prevention-led healthcare, and cut its ties to industry, in order to mandate stricter rules for UPFs and the misleading health claims the industry is still allowed to put in the packaging. Instead, we need tobacco-style warning labels for UPFs!
Since 1992, there have been 14 strategies and 680 policies put in place by the various governments relating to obesity – all have failed! I wonder if these 10 big multinational “food” giants that own hundreds of smaller brands have something to do with it? They are, after all, only responsible for their shareholders and reliant on selling unhealthy products to make profit, so lobbying governments is part of their business strategy.
In its election manifesto, BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) wrote:
“A new healthcare model needs to support people to stay healthy rather than waiting for them to become ill.”
Supporting nation’s optimal nutrition and healthy lifestyles can save lives and tax-payers money. We need to start making “real food” more affordable to buy, and get proper nutrition education and cooking skills available in all schools.
It should be obvious that treating diet and lifestyle-induced diseases must start with changing the diet and lifestyle!
But our governments have been very reluctant to take action and drive a real change in healthcare. It’s not that there is any doubt about what is driving our health crisis. We know more than we’ve ever known about the drivers for poor health. We know from numerous studies that consumption of UPFs is linked to a myriad of diseases. A recent umbrella review of 14 meta-analysis studies with 45 distinct pooled analyses found direct links between ultra-processed foods consumption and 32 health parameters, including mortality, cancer, and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic health outcomes. Evidence was found to be convincing (credibility class 1) for anxiety and combined common mental health disorders, as well as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular related mortality.
The science and information is obviously there, and there’s no need to wait to start changing policies and creating real change.
The out-dated mantra (used by the food industry and still believed by many medical/healthcare professionals) of ‘calories in, calories out‘ or ‘eat less and exercise more’ goes out of the window when our food environment is full of addictive, hunger-signal altering, nutrient-void, additive-rich foods. That’s exactly why UPFs are so damaging to our health.
There are no quick fixes (you can’t outrun or supplement a bad diet, I’ve written about this in one of my recent weekly newsletters), and and making a real change in the society will be a huge task for any government if it ever happens, but we can’t go on like this!
The only way to stay healthy and reverse disease (and the current trend) is to go back to eating real food, learn how to cook from scratch (it’s not actually rocket science!) and not rely on packaged foods so much.
Is our new government up to the task?
I sincerely hope our new government is more invested in preventative medicine and health-care and will make a change but if the governement won’t step up for the greater good of our public health, you can always make changes in your own life. Ultimately you are the only person responsible for your own individual health and you can start now! Remember, small changes can make a huge difference and it doesn’t need to be complicated. I see this in clinic all the time (check out the testimonials from previous clients), and would love to help you too.
Are you up for it?
I, for sure, am!
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