The document discusses the health implications of current dietary habits in the UK, highlighting that poor diets pose a significant threat to health and suggesting that aligning UK diets with international recommendations could improve life expectancy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It proposes several recommendations focused on setting clear dietary goals, managing the food environment to protect children, utilizing policy measures to balance food costs, and enhancing transparency about food consumption. Key areas of concern include the impact of food marketing, the abundance of unhealthy food options, and the need for clearer labeling and food regulations.

2. Average income: £37-52k
England, 2013
Health Survey for England
NDNS
LCFS
Kantar Worldpanel
Literature search
Key informants
Chapter 4: Drivers of
food price
Chapter 3: Drivers
of food choice
Chapter 2: What
families eat & throw
away
Chapter 1: Diet &
health

3. What are the policy levers
which could be used to
make it easier?
How easy is it for typical
British families to
choose a healthy diet?

4. 47% calories
64% calories

5. 5% with Type 2
diabetes (adult men)
31-45% with
dental caries
(primary age boys
and girls)
32-44% with dental
caries (secondary school
age boys and girls)
6% with Type 2
diabetes (adult women)
5000 miles
“Our diets now pose the biggest threat to our health….Bringing UK
diets into line with international dietary recommendations while
maintaining a dietary pattern familiar to the UK would extend
average life expectancy by approximately eight months and reduce
UK diet-related GHG emissions by 17%.”
The consequences

6. Recommendation 1: Set out a clear
vision for achieving healthy and
sustainable diets with targets which
can be monitored
Builds on 2 degree commitment in Paris and
forthcoming Childhood Obesity Strategy
Cross government vision
Strong focus on monitoring and accountability for
commitments
Link to global sustainable development goals

7. £96.15
+ £54.12
£150.27 6 meals
per week

8. An abundance of channels targeting and reaching children

9. Fruit, veg and pasta
3%
Confectionery
&
convenience
foods 60%
Food advertising spend Nielson, 2003

10. High fat sugar and
salt foods
£2.50 per 1000kcal
Non HFSS
£7.50 per 1000 kcal

11. An abundance of places to get food
2005
69,760 places to eat out
2015
93,285 places to eat out

12. PHE, 2015
40% of what we buy is on
promotion
More unhealthy than
healthy
Causing us to buy 20%
more than we otherwise
would

15. Recommendation 2: Manage the food
environment to protect children
TV advertising: expand current ban to 9pm
watershed
Marketing code for all forms of HFSS marketing
Planning: clarifying policy near schools
Labeling: Mandatory display of hygiene rating,
calorie labeling in eating-out, health claims
consistency, portion size
Formulation upper limits
Ofsted inspectors eating school meal

16. Common
Agricultural
policy and how
it is applied
Feed in tariffs
affecting land
rent
Negotiating powers
of producers
affected by
Groceries Code
Adjudicator
Lack of
formulation
limits on sugar
Competition
regulations
No limits to
retailers grading
standards
Import tarrifs
and increasing
reliance on
imports
Externalised
costs resulting
from carbon
footprint
Research
investments into
agricultural
innovation
Policy levers affecting
the balance of prices

17. Recommendation 3: Use policy
measures to achieve a healthy balance
in food costs
Tax on sugary drinks
Reviewing VAT
Reducing household waste
EFRA enquiry into policies affecting price of
vegetables, as well as it being a focus of GCA
review due in 2016

18. Recommendation 4:
Make it easier for consumers to know
what they are eating so they can
exercise their demand
Transparency standards for processed foods
Better ways of communicating about the meat
we eat, how it is produced and its carbon
footprint.

20. Acknowledgments
• Full listing in the report
• Jenny Sutherland and Fiona Watson: lead
researchers
• Food Foundation team: Alex Ward and Robin
Hinks