Boris Johnson’s new obesity strategy will lead to a ban on TV adverts before 9pm for foods high in fat, sugar and salt, and will end confectionery displays at shop checkouts.
The ‘Better Health’ campaign is to encourage the UK public – the third fattest country in Europe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) – to take action to improve their health.
In a video released to mark the launch of the government’s obesity strategy, Johnson said he had lost at least a stone in weight after recovering from coronavirus.
The prime minister said he was “way overweight” when he was admitted to intensive care in April as he battled COVID-19 and was put on oxygen.
Johnson has revealed already how his own brush with COVID-19 convinced him of the need to tackle Britain’s bulging collective waistline, saying the plan would help “reduce our health risks and protect ourselves against coronavirus”.
The strategy comes as evidence has begun to mount linking excess weight with a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus.
A Public Health England (PHE) study published on Saturday discovered that being classed as medically obese increased the risk of death from coronavirus by 40%.
According to WHO data, Britain has the third-highest level of obesity among European nations.
The data is based on a person with a BMI (body mass index) over 30, which is classified as obese. The WHO assessed data on around 900 million people in 53 countries in the lead-up to 2016.
At 27.8%, the percentage of the UK population who are obese is lower only than Turkey, at 32.1%, and Malta, with 28.9%.
The average percentage of people who are obese in Europe is 23.3%.
Women tend to have a slightly higher obesity rate than men. In 2016, 28.6% of British women were classified as obese, compared to 26.9% of men.
See a full list below of top 10 overweight countries in Europe by percentage (both sexes)
Turkey 32.1%
Malta 28.9%
United Kingdom 27.8%
Hungary 26.4%
Lithuania 26.3%
Israel 26.1%
Czech Republic 26%
Andorra 25.6%
Ireland 25.3%
Bulgaria 25%