The Obesity Crisis #2: How Can We Solve It?

In Part 1, we explored how and why obesity rates have tripled in the past half century. Our more sedentary lifestyles alongside a shift in what we eat — particularly increased sugar in our diets — have all played a role. What measures are we taking to overcome this?

Public education on healthy behaviours

National interventions such as change4life aim to inform families about healthy behaviours, with tips on healthy eating and activities. Credit: Anchorsholme Academy

To date, many government obesity policies have relied on interventions that arm individuals with information. An example is change4life in the UK, a national social marketing campaign that gives advice to help families adopt healthy behaviours. This comes in the form of healthy recipes and activity ideas.

However, these public education campaigns are not enough on their own.

Instead, mounting evidence suggests that changes must be made on an environmental, rather than just an individual level. Healthy living needs to be convenient, and healthy behaviours must be unconscious. This makes sense. In our busy lives, squeezing in time to make healthy meals and exercise is often not convenient.

Imagine this: it’s Monday morning. You’ve overslept and you’re running late for work. You rush out of the house, and hurriedly drive. You don’t have time to make breakfast, so you grab something from the McDonalds next to your office — let’s say a caramel latte and muffin. How could this morning be healthier?

We need environmental change

We need changes to environment that promote healthy behaviours. This could include creating cycle paths and pavements, and reducing the density of fast-food restaurants. Credit: Leicester Updates

Opting for an active commuting option such as cycling over driving would help. In many towns and cities across the world however, the absence of pavements and cycle paths makes driving the only real convenient mode of transport. We need changes to street design, to make these active commuting options as convenient as cars.

What if we could make the breakfast to-go healthier too? We could decrease the density of fast-food outlets, replacing them with restaurants selling healthier options. Failing that, we could change the food itself, reducing the amounts of sugar and salt in restaurant menus, and incorporating more healthy items on the menu.

What have governments done so far to create a healthier environment?

Hawker Centres in Singapore are popular — with half of Singaporeans eating there at least once a day. By swapping out ingredients in foods to healthier alternatives, citizens can eat healthier without sacrificing convenience. Credit: Conde Nast Traveler

Steps to modifying the environment have already been taken in various countries. In the UK, a sugar tax on soft drinks resulted in the average sugar content of drinks to drop by 28.8% between 2015 and 2018. Similarly, the Singaporean government introduced the ‘Healthier Hawker Program’, which encourages popular restaurants to substitute in healthier ingredients into their signature dishes — such as healthier oils, reduced-sodium salt, and wholegrain noodles. Unconsciously, without inconvenience or massively changing their daily habits, individuals are automatically eating healthier.

What do the public think?

You don’t have to look far to find articles complaining about the ‘nanny-state’ meddling in obesity. But how does this align with public opinion? Polling from the Health Foundation suggests that the UK public are hungry for change — with a marked shift in attitude since the Covid-19 pandemic started. In May 2020, 86% of people believed the government has a great or fair amount of responsibility in ensuring they stay healthy — up from 61% in 2018. The public’s ready for action: it’s time for policy-makers to act.

About That Medic Network

If you like this article, be sure to follow us for more content on our Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Feeling friendly or excited for our next article? Email us at info@thatmedicnetwork.com or subscribe to our newsletter.

About the author

Jessy Zhang is a fourth year medical student at University of Cambridge, with interests in healthcare inequality, policy, and mental health. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading and travelling!

References

1. Obesity: time for action [Internet]. The King’s Fund. 2020 [cited 2021 May 1]. Available from: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2020/07/obesity-time-action
2. Change4Life — Change4Life [Internet]. Nhs.uk. [cited 2021 May 1]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/change4life
3. Foo LL, Vijaya K, Sloan RA, Ling A. Obesity prevention and management: Singapore’s experience: Obesity prevention and management in Singapore. Obes Rev. 2013;14 Suppl 2:106–13.
4. Public perceptions of health and social care in light of COVID-19 (May 2020) [Internet]. Org.uk. [cited 2021 May 1]. Available from: https://www.health.org.uk/publications/reports/public-perceptions-of-health-and-social-care-in-light-of-covid-19-may-2020