Calorie counts on menus ‘risk shaming diners’

CALORIE counts on menus risk causing eating disorders and weight shaming, MPS have concluded.

The Women and Equalities Select Committee (WEC) has today published the findings of its long-awaited inquiry into body image and calls for the Government to scrap its current “dangerous” methods of tackling obesity.

The WEC made a series of radical recommendations, including urgently reviewing the Government’s Obesity Strategy because it is “dangerous” for people who have a negative body image, and to drop plans for calorie labels on food in restaurants, cafes and takeaways “as this could negatively affect those with, or at risk of developing, eating disorders”.

Caroline Nokes, chair of the committee, said she was “alarmed” by a reported rise in eating disorders during the pandemic and called on the Government to “ensure its policies are not contributing to body image pressures”.

The report also calls for the use of Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of health to be ditched because it “inspires weight stigma, contributes to eating disorders, and disrupts people’s body image and mental health”.

The cross-party group of MPS calls on Public Health England to instead adopt a “health at every size” approach which prioritises health lifestyle choices over correcting weight. They also called for a ban on use of doctored images in adverts – which promote an “unobtainable” body image – and to encourage diversity in advertising.

Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at the eating disorders charity Beat, said the past year has been “particularly difficult for those affected by eating disorders”, adding: “The Government’s obesity strategy must be immediately reviewed, as it includes measures known to be dangerous to those unwell or vulnerable, such as listing calories on menus.”