Diet and nutrition play a major role in health and disease. A ‘poor’ diet can mean many things: it may refer to the over-consumption of food, a diet low in dietary fibre or complex carbohydrates, or high in salt, fat, or sugar. Eating a poor diet contributes significantly to the risk of developing a number of chronic and fatal conditions, including stroke, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer, and obesity. The Department of Health has estimated that a poor diet – particularly one that is low in fruit and vegetables – may contribute to the development of a third of all cancers.
The latest Health Survey for England (HSE) data shows that nearly 1 in 4 adults, and over 1 in 10 children aged 2-10, are obese. In 2007, the Government-commissioned Foresight report predicted that if no action was taken, 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children would be obese by 2050. There is also a significant burden on the NHS - direct costs caused by obesity are estimated to be £4.2 billion per year and forecast to more than double by 2050 if we carry on as we are.
The White Paper Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for Public Health in England, sets out how the Government plans to improve public health. The Government’s ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call to action on obesity in England’ document, published in October 2011 sets out how action on obesity will be delivered as the move is made towards the new public health system. The Call to Action announces the Government’s new national ambitions for a downward trend in excess weight in both children and adults by 2020 and sets out how, by working together, a wide range of partners will be able to make these ambitions a reality.
The CIEH is actively engaged in lobbying to shape the new public health strategy for England. We recognise that tackling obesity and promoting healthy eating will remain high on the public health agenda and continue to support the need for improvement. We do this by publishing reports, introducing toolkits, supporting healthy eating awards and generally seeking to identify areas where environmental health practitioners (EHPs) can develop and promote interventions. Much of this work is achieved through our support of Food Vision.