Britain must fight flab to beat virus, says reformed Johnson
BORIS JOHNSON has insisted Britain must get fitter in the wake of coronavirus, as he admitted he had changed his mind on obesity. The Prime Minister noted that the UK was “significantly fatter” than other European nations and would be “more resistant to diseases like Covid if we can tackle obesity”.
The Daily Telegraph understands that the Department of Health and Social Care has sent proposals to Down- ing Street on ways to tackle the issue.
Suggestions include the wider availability of fitness and healthy eating programmes and a wider use of bariatric surgery, which includes the fitting of gastric bands. Other measures under consideration include banning price promotions such as “buy one, get one free” offers and unlimited refills on unhealthy foods and drinks.
New legislation to force restaurants, cafes and takeaways to label the calorie content of food and increasing access to exercise and healthy eating schemes, is also expected to be examined.
However, Mr Johnson played down the idea of extending sugar tax to encompass further products. In an interview with Times Radio he said: “Everybody knows that this is a tough one, but I think it’s something we all need to address. I think that we certainly must have a care for the health of our population and we will be happier and fitter and more resistant to diseases like Covid if we can tackle obesity.”
However Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, warned that without “draconian” taxation and regulation the measures would “be doomed to fail”.
Mr Fry said it was “imperative” that the Prime Minister expand the sugar tax to include calorie-laden coffee drinks, desserts and other snacks.
He said: “A public information programme won’t work on its own. Unless Mr Johnson gets wise to regulation and taxation very little will change.”
Mr Fry welcomed the suggestion of increased access to bariatric surgery but said he doubted there would be enough surgeons to fulfil demand as “thousands are eligible”.
Recent research from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found that people in the UK now live on average 2.7 years less as a result of the obesity crisis.
The Prime Minister was reportedly convinced the reason he ended up in intensive care with Covid-19 was because of his weight, which was 17 and a half stone at the time. Mr Johnson reportedly demonstrated the results of his health kick by doing press-ups in his Downing Street office during an interview with the Mail on Sunday.
It led Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, to challenge the Prime Minister to a press-up competition at the dispatch box, saying the pair could see who is the “first to 50” during Prime Minister’s Questions.
Downing Street declined to say whether Mr Johnson would be taking him up on the offer.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said obesity was an area Mr Johnson was “determined to tackle in order to prepare the country for future health crises” and suggested ministers would outline an obesity strategy in the “next couple of months”.