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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Dan Bloom

What obesity crackdown means for your everyday life - and when it will happen

Big changes to how you shop, eat and exercise are coming down the track after Boris Johnson launched a nationwide 'obesity strategy'.

Two-for-one deals on crisps and chocolate will be axed in supermarkets while junk food adverts will be banned from TV before 9pm.

Adverts for sugary, fatty food could be banned online entirely - while big chain restaurants will be forced to show calorie counts on their menus.

People will be encouraged to use a 12-week NHS weight loss app and could even be "prescribed" cycling by their GP.

The Prime Minister announced the move today as he confessed he was "too fat" when battling coronavirus - and urged all overweight Brits to lose five pounds.

An ever-popular McDonald's drive thru - but the government wants us to watch our waist (Getty)

But none of these measures are immediate, some aren't even confirmed, and others won't be in place until almost the year 2023.

So how and when will the 'Better Health' campaign impact your everyday life? Here's a full guide.

What will definitely happen

The government has said all these moves will happen. But some could take years to be in place.

No more buy one, get one free

Buy one, get one free promotions on "foods high in fat and sugar" will end in shops and supermarkets under the government's obesity crackdown.

There will also be a ban on high-fat, high-sugar items being placed in "prominent locations" like checkouts and entrances.

Shops will be encouraged to promote healthier choices and offer more discounts on food like fruit and vegetables.

The announcement comes seven days before a new £500m 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme launches to save restaurants from the impact of coronavirus.

That scheme will allow diners to get 50% off meals, up to £10 per head, in participating restaurants on every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August. Ministers claim there's no contradiction between the two schemes.

WHEN? The government has failed to provide a clear deadline. The full consultation response will be published "as soon as possible".

You'll find calories on restaurant menus - but only major chains

Restaurant, cafe and takeaway firms will be told to add calorie counts (file photo of 11-year-old Harlie Haycox, who launched a diner in Leeds, with her dad Matt) (SWNS.com)

Restaurant, cafe and takeaway firms will be told to add calorie counts for each dish to their menus.

But the move will only apply to firms with more than 250 staff - ruling out any small independent restaurants, or even some minor chains.

It means you'll be able to judge how unhealthy a burger or a pizza is before you order it - a subtle reminder that maybe it's worth having a salad.

A previous review found mandating calorie counts reduced intake by 81 calories. 

It comes after research showed people consume around 200 more calories per day on days they eat out.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "When you’re shopping for your family or out with friends, it’s only fair that you are given the right information about the food you’re eating to help people to make good decisions."

WHEN? Firms will have "around 12 months" to implement the policy once Parliament passes a law, which hasn't happened yet. That means it won't be fully in place until September 2021 at the earliest.

Your GP could 'prescribe' you cycling

Part of the plan is to expand NHS "weight management" services, so more people get support to shed the pounds.

GPs will be encouraged to "prescribe" exercise and more social activities to help with weight loss.

It's not clear yet if that could actually mean claiming back a gym membership, for example, on prescription - which would make it free for millions.

From 2021, doctors will be offered incentives to ensure people living with obesity are given support for weight loss.

WHEN? Some of these measures already exist and doctors will be offered incentives from 2021.

You might be told to use a 12-week weight loss app

Weight management services also include "self-care" apps like the NHS's 12-week weight loss app.

You can find more about that one here.

Junk food TV adverts will be banned before 9pm - but only by the end of 2022

Junk food ads will be banned from TV (Getty)

Foods high in fat, salt or sugar will be banned from TV adverts before 9pm in a government crackdown.

It means no more of your kids nagging you to buy whatever snack they saw on afternoon telly.

The move will finally take force after the idea was repeatedly suggested under previous governments - and repeatedly put on the back burner or dumped.

Laws will pass through Parliament to enforce the ban but there's a catch - it will only happen by the end of 2022 (see below).

It comes after Cancer Research UK found 48% of all food adverts shown over a month were for junk food.

The government says exposure to this advertising can affect what and when children eat.

WHEN? The ban will only be in introduced "by the end of 2022". That's because the government is consulting on how the ban should work online (see below).

If you're overweight, you're being told to lose 5 pounds

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, is telling Brits to go on a diet (PA)

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, writing in the Telegraph, set anybody classed as overweight a goal.

He said: "If everyone who is overweight lost five pounds it could save the NHS over £100 million over the next five years.

"And more importantly, given the link between obesity and coronavirus, losing weight could be lifesaving."

WHEN? It's not an official government programme, so there's no strict time limit.

What might happen in future

The government is planning consultations on these elements, so they're much further away.

Online junk food adverts could be banned

They'll be banned from TV - but could adverts vanish from tablets and PCs too? (Getty Images)

The government is launching a consultation on how to ban online junk food adverts.

Ministers are understood to be concerned that if a ban only kicks in on TV, advertising will simply move to the web.

A consultation will be held on whether the ban should apply at all times of the day online, to simplify it.

WHEN? There is no deadline and a consultation hasn't even opened yet. The full measures are only expected by the end of 2022.

Find calorie labels on alcoholic drinks

Drinking beer won't quite have the same ring to it - but it might be healthier (Alamy Stock Photo)

A new consultation will be launched on plans to provide calorie labelling on alcohol.

This would see alcoholic drinks carry a similar system to the "traffic lights" already seen on popular foods in the supermarket.

Officials think alcohol consumption may make up 10% of people's calorie intake - yet most people are unaware of the calorie content of commons drinks.

We don't know how this would affect your life yet - for instance, whether it'd be mandatory in pubs - because the consultation hasn't happened yet.

WHEN: The government has pledged to launch the consultation by the end of 2020. That means it won't become law until at least 2021.

More food could have 'traffic light' fat ratings on the box

These traffic light system labels could become more common (PA)

At the moment, it's not compulsory for food to have a "traffic light" rating system for how unhealthy it is.

Many supermarkets do this voluntarily - for instance, the red marker you'll see on the front of a cheese sandwich.

A consultation will gather 'views and evidence' on the current system - which the government says is popular with shoppers.

But the government is not currently proposing making traffic light ratings mandatory for all food.

If changes are to be made, there'll be a second consultation on those changes.

WHEN? The call for evidence will be launched "soon" and run for 12 weeks. If there are changes, there'll be a second consultation. It'd be safe not to expect anything this side of Christmas - or long beyond.

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