Junk food ads could be banned
A BAN on junk food advertising, no takeaways near schools and a ban on energy drinks sold to children are just three of the things you can expect to see in Wales by 2030.
In a new document titled ‘Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales,’ the Welsh Government has listed how it plans to make Wales healthier and cut obesity.
All schools will have to incorporate daily activity into the school day and there would be more 20mph zones, according to the plan.
All food and drink on offer to patients, staff and visitors will adhere to strict healthy criteria, including within canteens, vending machines and shops at NHS sites.
Life expectancy has stalled and obesity-related illnesses and death, linked to poor diets and sedentary lifestyles, is increasing at what the document describes as an “alarming rate”.
The document says by 2030 in Wales: ■ There would be a ban on advertising, sponsorship and promotion of foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt in public spaces including at bus/railway stations, sporting events, family attractions, schools, hospitals, leisure centres and other public spaces;
■ Taxes on foods high in fat, salt and sugar would be considered “if the pace of reformulation does not meet expectations”;
■ A ban on the sale of energy drinks to children and young people;
■ A change in the use of price promotion and discounts and retailers encouraged to promote healthier products and alternatives;
■ Calorie labelling for foods eaten away from home;
■ Limits on takeaways near schools;
■ Limits on free refills; and
■ More refill water stations.
The report doesn’t only clamp down on food, but lays out encouraging people to exercise more, stating: “We know that our current environment still supports the use of cars over walking or cycling.”
There will be more opportunities for play for families and children and how “high quality sport infrastructure can help increase participation”.
“New housing developments will be designed and built to enable active travel, play and recreation. We will support planners to prioritise quick, safe, convenient and well connected pedestrian and cycle routes to health and care appointments, school and work, to places of interest and our town centres. We will utilise 20mph speed limits to further encourage active travel,” the report says.
Schools will give food and nutrition guidance, with staff trained to teach pupils about food and physical activity.
New school food regulations would be put in place at all schools.
The document is full of huge and ambitious promises about changing planning rules, the education system and healthcare.
It says it will deliver it by giving extra funding to programmes and “partners will be expected to prioritise and focus local resources to ensure that investments are delivering in a sustainable way”.
“Gaining large-scale change across the system will require multiple small-scale process changes by leaders and teams from within it.”
Health minister Vaughan Gething says that one in four of four- to five-year-olds start school each year overweight or obese.
He said: “Being a healthy weight has become one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of long-term health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers. However, in our current environment it is difficult for many of us to achieve this.
“Levels of childhood obesity are worse in our most deprived areas and severe obesity in children continues to rise. This trend increases throughout adolescence and continues into adulthood, with nearly 60% who are overweight or obese.
“Preventing obesity is a complex challenge, with many contributing factors acting at individual, community, societal and global levels. We need to see a reversal in the current trends which are having a significant impact on our health, life quality and life expectancy as a nation. There are also continuing pressures on our NHS services and the wider Welsh economy related to obesity in the immediate and long-term.
“Change is possible. My ambition is for Wales to be one of the first countries in the world to witness declining rates of obesity.”
Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager for Wales, Andy Glyde, said it was a “fantastic” idea to restrict junk food price promotions., adding: “Obesity causes 1,000 cases of cancer in Wales every year and this bold action from the Welsh Government will help us all to eat a healthier diet.”