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The release of the new Government Obesity Strategy means I am late to posting on here. I have contributed to several collaborative statements about the strategy released today. Here are my personal thoughts (1/10)
The strategy is not a “wake-up call” nor is it world leading. Very little of this campaign is new, and I question the timing of this campaign. (2/10)
At a time when the pandemic has increased fear and anxiety, and this is likely to be higher for people identified as at higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, adding more fear may lead to many unintended consequences (3/10)
The “wake-up call” that is supposedly for the population, should actually be a “wake-up call” for the government. The simplistic eat less, more more rhetoric clearly doesn't work. It's time to address ineffective policies, wider determinants of health & inequalities (4/10)
The campaign promotes a simplistic view of a complex topic. Counterintuitively, it is juxtapose to the Government’s own Foresight report published 13 years ago which highlighted that obesity is complex & multifaceted (5/10) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reducing-obesity-future-choices
The ‘Better Health’ campaign focuses solely on individual behaviour change & is ill-aligned to the Government’s own whole systems obesity work. In 2019 the Government reported that system-wide change is needed (6/10) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/whole-systems-approach-to-obesity
Health is not a fight, and we need to remove combative language when talking about obesity or any other health related topic. Combative language can lead to frustration, anger and defensiveness - and outcomes are not simply determined by whether people can 'fight' (7/10)
Elements of the video clips & imagery from the ‘Better Health’ campaign are designed to increase fear & anxiety. Scare tactics do not work & may oppositely lead to increased harm and can lead to avoidance. (8/10) https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2213-8587(20)30072-3
I welcome the TV and Online advertisement & supermarket offer ban – not related to obesity – but for population health. Irrespective of bodyweight or health status, removing these adverts and promotions are beneficial for all. However, they do not go far enough. (9/10)
For instance, extending the restriction of these advertisements across society such as on public transport and around sport are needed as these are often the settings exploited to target children and young people (10/10)
