Government and big business unite to make healthy choices easier
A major new initiative will see the government partner with leading food retailers and manufacturers to promote healthier food and drink options, aiming to combat the UK’s growing obesity crisis and reduce pressure on the NHS.
Under the upcoming 10 Year Health Plan, a new healthy food standard will be introduced, requiring large retailers to improve the nutritional quality of the average shopping basket. Companies will have flexibility in how they achieve this—whether by reformulating products, adjusting store layouts, promoting healthier items through discounts, or changing loyalty programs.
Experts say small changes can have a big impact. Cutting just 50 calories a day could lift 340,000 children and 2 million adults out of obesity. A daily reduction of 216 calories—roughly one sugary drink—could halve obesity rates nationwide.
The high cost of obesity
Obesity is a major factor in conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The UK has the third highest adult obesity rate in Europe, costing the NHS £11.4 billion a year—three times the ambulance service’s budget. Childhood obesity rates have doubled since the 1990s, with over 1 in 5 children obese by the end of primary school. In poorer areas, the figure rises to nearly 1 in 3.
The new initiative supports broader government efforts to address health inequalities, with targeted investments in working-class communities and action on disparities in maternal mortality.
A shift from sickness to prevention
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:
“Obesity has doubled since the 1990s and costs our NHS £11 billion a year, triple the budget for ambulance services. Unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable.
The good news is that it only takes a small change to make a big difference. If everyone who is overweight reduced their calorie intake by around 200 calories a day – the equivalent of a bottle of fizzy drink – obesity would be halved.
This government’s ambition for kids today is for them to be part of the healthiest generation of children ever. That is within our grasp. With the smart steps we’re taking today, we can give every child a healthy start to life.
Our brilliant supermarkets already do so much work for our communities and are trying to make their stores heathier, and we want to work with them and other businesses to create a level playing field.
Through our new healthy food standard, we will make the healthy choice the easy choice, because prevention is better than cure.
By shifting from sickness to prevention through our Plan for Change, we will make sure the NHS can be there for us when we need it”.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:
“Britain has some of the best farmers, growers, food manufacturers and retailers in the world, which means we have more choice than ever before on our shelves.
It is vital for the nation that the food industry delivers healthy food, that is available, affordable and appealing.
Our food strategy will bring together the health plan, food producers and retailers to make sure we can feed the nation more healthily while growing the economic success of our food sector”.
All major food businesses will now be required to report on the nutritional quality of their sales, creating transparency and driving improvement. The government will set clear targets and collaborate with the Food Strategy Advisory Board to implement the policy effectively.
Sarah Price, NHS England Director for Public Health, said:
“A healthy diet, which includes a variety of nutritious food can help people stay well and provide long-term health benefits, which is good for them and good for the NHS.
That is why this move to make it easier for people to shop for healthy and nutritious food options is so important – it will help people reduce the risk of developing a range of life-altering physical conditions, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes – both of which are on the increase in England”.
Major investors are already showing interest in healthier food products—especially if retailers commit to promoting them more prominently. The new standards aim to remove commercial risk for early adopters by ensuring collective action across the sector.
Building a healthier future
These reforms are central to the government’s Plan for Change, which seeks to transform the NHS from a “sickness service” into a “prevention service.” The full 10 Year Health Plan, due soon, promises a radical shift in public health strategy—designed to secure a sustainable, healthier future for all.
Ken Murphy, Tesco Group CEO, said:
“All food businesses have a critical part to play in providing good quality, affordable and healthy food. At Tesco, we have measured and published our own healthier food sales for a number of years now - we believe it is key to more evidence-led policy and better-targeted health interventions. That’s why we have called for mandatory reporting for all supermarkets and major food businesses and why we welcome the Government’s announcement on this. We look forward to working with them on the detail of the Healthy Food Standard and its implementation by all relevant food businesses”.
Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s commented:
“We’re passionate about making good food joyful, accessible and affordable for everyone and have been championing the need for mandatory health reporting, across the food industry for many years. Today’s announcement from Government is an important and positive step forward in helping the nation to eat well. We need a level playing field across the entirety of our food sector for these actions to have a real and lasting impact.
We look forward to working across Government and our wider industry on the further development of these policies and in helping to drive improved health outcomes across our nation”.
Ravi Gurumurthy, CEO of Nesta, said:
“Most of us want to lose weight and make healthier choices but the food that surrounds us makes that too hard. That’s why obesity has doubled since the 90s.
This new standard focuses on lots of small changes that make it easier to buy food that’s a little bit healthier. Nationally, it could send obesity rates down by a fifth - through business and government working together to improve our health”.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy, said:
“Which? research has shown that people want retailers to do more to support them in making healthier choices. Six in 10 (60%) consumers said they support the government introducing health targets for supermarkets.
Mandatory food targets will help to incentivise retailers to use the range of tactics available to them to make small but significant changes - making it easier for people to eat a balanced diet and lead healthier lives”.
John Maingay, Director of Policy at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said:
“A new standard to make meals across the UK healthier is a huge step towards creating a food environment that supports better heart health. This move recognises the vital role that businesses can play in supporting everyone to have a healthier diet.
Obesity puts people at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease, which remains one of the UK’s biggest killers. We hope to see real momentum behind this new standard to make the healthier choice the easiest choice once and for all”. Photo by Alexisrael, Wikimedia commons.
