North West health campaigners back calls for changes to processed foods

North West wellbeing and health campaign Our Life today welcomed a hard-hitting report by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence which called for major changes to processed and convenience foods in order to improve the health of the nation.

The NICE report, which says that diet is not just a matter for individual consumers, was warmly welcomed by Our Life's chief executive Dr Alison Giles, who said: "While we all have a responsibility to look after our health, the statistics show that despite our best endeavours we are not succeeding and we need a helping hand. Further reducing salt content, a total ban on trans fats, cutting hidden fats in food and looking at the over abundance of take-aways near schools are all sensible measures that will have a positive impact on improving people's health and should be supported," said Dr Giles.

The NICE report strikes a particular chord in the North West where over 30% of children are overweight or obese and where nearly half of all adults are overweight. "Food-related ill health costs the NHS £6bn a year - costs which are entirely preventable if we prioritise action to tackle the availability and accessibility of unhealthy food," said Dr Giles. "As part of our Talking Food: Taking Action initiative, Our Life is currently working with local people across the North West to find out what they think of the food system and our initial findings suggest that people are very concerned in particular about the promotion of junk food to children and the 'take-away' culture in many of our towns and cities," said Dr Giles.

The concerns about junk food and children outlined in the NICE report were backed up by an Our Life survey of 1,000 parents across the North West last year in which 60% of parents indicated that the food preferences of children are influenced by the advertising of food products on television. Furthermore, over 60% highlighted in the survey their belief that there are too many advertisements for junk food on television.

"We hope that this report will spark a real debate about the need to address the link between the food we eat, the system which provides it and increasing ill health. Government and the food industry should take this report seriously and enter into a debate with consumers on how best to improve things. The current system is clearly not working," Dr Giles said.