by More than 9,000 heart disease-related deaths could be prevented in England over the next two decades if all restaurants, fast food outlets, cafes, pubs and takeaways added calories to their menus, according to a modeling study.
Scientists said that under the current Government policy, which only covers large food businesses with 250 or more employees, around 730 deaths from cardiovascular disease could be prevented between 2022 and 2041.
The findings, published in the Lancet Public Health journal, also suggest that the current policy would reduce the prevalence of obesity in England by 0.31 percentage points over the next 20 years, although the full implementation of the policy – across all food businesses – would reduce it that’s by 2.65 percentage points.
The researchers said their findings “underscore the need for the Government to consider extending this policy to all food businesses to maximize public health benefits as part of a wider obesity strategy in England”.
Martin O’Flaherty, professor of epidemiology at the University of Liverpool, said: “More than one in four adults in England are currently living with obesity, and trends suggest this is set to increase.
“Our research estimates that current calorie labeling legislation will prevent hundreds of deaths from cardiovascular disease over the next 20 years; However, the impact could be much greater if the Government were more ambitious in their aims to tackle the obesity epidemic in England and extended the policy to all out-of-home food businesses.”
In April 2022, the Government introduced mandatory calorie labeling in England for businesses that serve food as part of its national obesity strategy.
The aim is to help diners make healthier choices and combat the nation’s growing obesity problem.
Similar legislation is being considered in Wales and Scotland.
To understand more about the impact of calories on future menus, the researchers looked at the impact of the current policy – which applies to around 18% of food businesses – on two main outcomes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Dr Zoe Colombet, lecturer in epidemiology and public health at the University of Liverpool, said: “Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which can also lead to cardiovascular disease.
“Thus, cardiovascular disease and, in the long term, other obesity-related diseases such as certain types of cancer and joint diseases will be reduced.”
The team found that about 830,000 deaths related to cardiovascular disease would occur by 2041 without any menu calorie labeling policy.
Modeling suggests that around 730 deaths could be prevented over the next 20 years under the current policy, and if it were extended to all food businesses in England, around 9,200 deaths could be prevented – almost 13 times more.
Dr Colombet said: “Our findings suggest that extending menu calorie labeling to all English away food businesses could play an important role in future government strategies to support people to make healthier choices to cope with obesity.
“However, policy alone cannot solve England’s obesity crisis.
“We urge the Government to continue with, and strengthen, England’s obesity strategy with a wide range of policies, such as calorie labelling, tackling the marketing of junk food, and levying the soft drinks industry, which will reduce obesity and reduce poor health. gap of inequality in our society.”
She added that it is vital to understand the cost to small businesses, and that there is a need to discuss mechanisms to provide assistance in implementing and monitoring the policy.
The researchers also said there were other areas of policy impact that their study did not investigate, such as eating disorders.
Eric Robinson, professor of psychology at the University of Liverpool, said: “Policy makers need to consider multiple factors when making decisions and future research is needed into the cost-effectiveness of the policy, the impact on consumers and businesses, as well like the unintended possibilities. negative consequences such as those of eating disorders.”
Commenting on the study, Dr Duane Mellor, registered dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, said it is vital that potential public health policies are thoroughly tested through modeling before their implementation is considered.
He said there are other studies that suggest calorie labeling can lead to increased consumption in some cases because it is seen as better value for money”.
Dr Mellor said: “This shows that calorie labeling on individual menus may have the potential to have the opposite effect. It is important to consider the overall nutritional balance of meals and how they fit into an overall dietary pattern.
“It is not wise to focus on foods solely on their energy content to determine how healthy they are.”
