United Kingdom: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is introducing a new government program that will award families who reduce their calorie intake in an effort to tackle the obesity crisis.
The program, which is set to start in January 2022, will keep track of family supermarket spending and reward families who purchase more fruits and vegetables, limit their calorie intake and increase their exercise by taking part in organized events or walking to school.
Families will be rewarded ‘loyalty points’, which can be stored on a new app and exchanged for incentives such as discounts and free tickets.
The Prime Minister is determined to combat the growing levels of obesity in the UK, hence he brought in Sir Keith Mills, who helped run the London Olympics, to lead the effort.
The UK has one of the highest obesity rates in Europe and last week a report suggested a tax on salt and sugar as one measure to help tackle the UK's obesity crisis.
This week we’re asking are we doing enough to tackle our obesity crisis?https://t.co/T6HiqVU1Ws
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According to a Whitehall source cited by The Telegraph, there is a ‘whole team in Downing Street’ working on the program.
“The Prime Minister thinks that we simply cannot go on as before and that we must now tackle it head on.”
“He has been on a very rigorous diet and exercise programme and it is likely he will play a leading role in fronting this whole campaign,” they continued.
Once the campaign starts, it will be in the form of an app that lets users scan in their weekly shopping and track their levels of movement, with pilot schemes looking at the best ways to encourage families to make positive changes to their lives.
However, the government is reportedly considering going a step further by offering rewards linked to compliance with NHS checks, such as going through a smear, mammogram, or a health MOT.
News of the program came after Lord Stevens, the exiting boss of the NHS, warned on July 23, that the NHS would be having a hard time coping in the future if the country doesn’t find a way to deal with its obesity problem.
The United Kingdom is banning junk food commercials before 9 p.m. as part of an anti-obesity drive.https://t.co/wW3RBez3R5
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The United Kingdom is one of the worst-performing countries when it comes to the obesity crisis in Western Europe costing its health services around £6 billion a year. Officials in 2020 said the NHS could save £100 million if every person suffering from obesity lost 5lbs.
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