Sugar Awareness Week: Tackling harmful industry influence

For this year’s Sugar Awareness Week campaign, Action on Salt are shedding light on the harmful commercial influences and practices driving up the promotion, sale, and consumption of foods high in sugar, calling for stronger Government action to hold the food industry to account and protect communities from harm.

Around four in five adults and nine in ten children are eating more than the daily recommended amount of sugar, increasing their risk of developing serious conditions such as obesity, tooth decay, and type 2 diabetes.

Welcoming the campaign, Sarah Perman, ADPH Obesity Spokesperson and Director for Public Health for Hertfordshire County Council, said:

“Everyone deserves to live, work, grow, and play in an environment that supports their health and wellbeing. Yet, persuasive marketing, misleading packaging, and competitive pricing are constantly being used by industry to entice us into buying foods and drinks overloaded with fat, sugar, and salt. This increases the risk of developing serious conditions including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay.

“We know there is no single solution but we know what works. This includes introducing clearer labelling, tighter advertising restrictions, and holding industry to account for reducing the fat, sugar, and salt added to food during manufacturing. By reducing the appeal, affordability, and accessibility of these unhealthy products and making healthier choices easier and more affordable, we can give everyone the freedom to live a healthier life, for longer.”