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Emeritus Prof Christopher May's posts Post Back to profile
Emeritus Prof Christopher May

Food system researchers have argued for decades that the UK's food system is dysfunctional is having a detrimental impact on our health.

New research has now put a figure on that damage: £268bn a year - made up of costs to the NHS, the costs of food-related illness & death and other welfare/benefits related costs.

Previous Govt.s however have been relatively reticent about trying to really constrain Big Food & nothings suggests Labour will be different.

#food #health
theguardian.com/politics/2024/

16 November at 8:11 | Open on zirk.us
6 comments
The Crafty Miss

@ChrisMayLA6 PH working hard on this building a concept and narrative around commercial determinants of health, while groups that cut their teeth fighting tobacco are now looking at obesity and Big Food. We'll line up the pieces, but it required government putting them in play.

As usual, while Westminster and Whitehall faff about, the localities, regions, and devolved govts will get on with the work

16 November at 8:14 | Open on mas.to
Emeritus Prof Christopher May

@TheDonsieLass

I hope so.... because the Big Food libby has been pretty successful at curtailing the necessary regulation at national level

16 November at 8:17 | Open on zirk.us
The Crafty Miss

@ChrisMayLA6 Indeed they have. I see more ambition on e.g. refusing planning on hot food takeaways in local authorities than anything that has been done centrally.

The powers outside of central government are limited but folk get wise on how to use what they do have to best effect.

16 November at 8:24 | Open on mas.to
RolloTreadway

@ChrisMayLA6 The idea of vouchers for fruit and veg might be a very good one. It's nice to have a suggestion that doesn't simply come down to 'demand poor people greatly increase their food budget'.

Of course, we could always go particularly crazy and try to reduce poverty, but that never seems a popular idea.

16 November at 8:18 | Open on beige.party
Paul the Nerd

@ChrisMayLA6 Assisted suicide will sort it all out. Tell all the fat unhealthy people they have no quality of life and prescribe some good toxins to send them to sleep /s

16 November at 8:29 | Open on cupoftea.social
LanguageMan1

@ChrisMayLA6 While the UK and European food systems might have problems, and those of other countries, the US system is much worse. Plenty of cancer causing ingredients in much of our food and so many with diabetes here.

16 November at 8:37 | Open on social.vivaldi.net
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