A new policy recommendation for health targets for major retailers that could reduce obesity in Britain by approximately 23% and help four million people achieve a healthier weight.
The report from the Charity Nesta proposed that the Government should implement mandatory health targets for large grocery retailers with Obesity in the UK having doubled since the early 1990s, with three in five people now overweight or obese
Under the plans Retailers would be encouraged to improve the healthiness of their offer by increasing the overall nutritional quality, as measured by a nutrient profile score
This would set the outcome but give retailers the flexibility to choose how they meet the target.
Nesta’s modelling suggests the scheme could reduce calorie purchases by around 80 kcal per person per day among the population with excess weight, and obesity prevalence by approximately 23%.
This would translate to around four million fewer people living with obesity in the UK and around £20 billion in annual cost savings to society
The report includes case examples to show how supermarkets could adapt to help people in their goal of a healthier lifestyle without raising the price of a grocery shop.
This includes changing store and online layouts to avoid pushing less healthy products (such as those high in sugar) on consumers; purchasing and stocking a wider range of affordable healthy food; and using advertising and promotions like buy one get one free to make healthier items more affordable for families.
The team commissioned an independent economist, Daniel Gordon, to assess the impact of the system on consumers. Mr Gordon is formerly Senior Director of Markets at the Competition and Markets Authority and Chief Economist at the UK Competition Commission. His assessment reports:
“The target should not have a significant impact on costs of consumers shopping, either in terms of the prices in stores, or by causing them to switch to higher price products. Competition between supermarkets will lead them to find ways to meet the target that will be best-received by their customers, both in terms of choice of the products they offer, and the cost of their shopping. Set against the very large benefits of reducing obesity and recognising the pivotal role that large grocery retailers play in shaping the nation’s diet, there is a compelling case for this policy to be seriously considered.”
The report proposes that the targets start as non-mandatory, allowing retailers until 2030 to adapt to the approach. After this, retailers that fail to meet the threshold would be subject to a financial penalty, helping to make sure those who support their customers to eat healthily are not undercut by competitors. The targets would be underpinned by data reporting and supported by an expert body with enforcement powers.
Hugo Harper, Director of Nesta’s health team, said: “If we want to improve the nation’s health then we have to focus on our food system. The evidence shows that pushing the onus on the individual to make changes doesn’t work – obesity has doubled since the 90s. That’s not because we have less willpower than we did 25 years ago. What’s changed is what is sold and marketed to us – it’s just harder to be healthy. Supermarkets are not the enemy in this story. If we incentivise retailers to work with us to make food healthier then that’s a massive win for public health.”
