Battling child obesity: Scotland to table junk food limitations on national scale

05 Sep 2019 --- The Scottish government is moving to become one of the first nations to propose restrictions to limit the promotion and marketing of food and drinks high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS), at a national scale. The proposal will be couched as a Bill on Restricting Foods Promotions, it was announced in the Programme for Government 2019-20. A spokesperson for the Scottish government tells NutritionInsight that further details will be announced as the legislation is drafted. This move coincides with policies to improve the nutrition of Scottish school meals as children’s health continues to be a central concern.

The Bill, which will be brought forward in next year’s legislative program, has been applauded by various health organizations, including lobby group Action on Salt. “Such restrictions have not been made on a national scale before, but previous research has suggested they could be a successful strategy to reduce purchase and consumption of HFSS food and drink,” Sonia Pombo, Nutritionist at Action on Salt, tells NutritionInsight.

The move coincides with UK government’s Spending Review announcement for the next year. Its contents drew ire from industry, with concerns regarding the omission of the promise to continue the nation’s sugar levy – designed to slash obesity rates – and “under committing” on National Health Service funding. Calls for the involvement of government with the nations health in the form of policy are growing. 

The government has previously consulted with the public as well as food and retail industries on the restriction of in-store marketing and promotion of HFSS food and drinks. This was part of the government’s Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, with the proposed restrictions covering confectionery, sweet biscuits, potato chips, savory snacks, cakes, pastries, puddings and soft drinks with added sugar. These foods provide 20 percent of calories, 20 percent of fats and 50 percent of sugar in Scotland’s diet. Additionally, it was discussed whether ice-cream and dairy desserts should be included, but main meals will not come under the restrictions. 

The restrictions could end multi-buys, displays at checkouts, purchase rewards such as vouchers and loyalty card points, unlimited refills and upselling of increased sizes or extra products and other marketing activities where HFSS food and drinks are sold. 

The government notes that the restrictions could also potentially apply to online sale, and the measures would complement measures at a UK-level to encourage reformulation to reduce the calorie and sugar content of HFSS foods, including by reducing portion sizes. 

Promotions are often seen as an opportunity by consumers to save money, although evidence would suggest otherwise, according to Pombo. “They actually increase consumer spending by encouraging people to buy more than they need. Instead of stockpiling and storing the reserves for a later date, they effectively consume more than they originally intended to. This contributes to the risk of becoming overweight or obese.”

Children are especially vulnerable to food promotion and marketing. “Eating a poor diet and being overweight or obese causes serious health problems, such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, and it is clear that we must take decisive action. Restricting the in-store promotion and marketing of HFSS food is crucial to tackling our nation’s damaging relationship with junk food,” said Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick at the time of the consultation.

A healthier generation
Children are particularly vulnerable to food promotion and marketing. “Strong evidence from systematic reviews has shown that the marketing of HFSS foods contributes to children’s eating preferences. They have been shown to be uniquely vulnerable to techniques used in promotions, particularly upon entry to the store or at checkouts. This leads to what is commonly known as ‘pester power’ – applying significant pressure on parents to buy food that is likely unhealthy. Parents have expressed concern in this area, and have repeatedly demanded action to restrict promotions of HFSS products,” says Pombo. 

She continues that while the UK was one of the first countries to introduce restrictions on HFSS food and drink television advertisements to children, the current system lacks adequate measures to protect children from the marketing of less healthy foods, including in-store promotions, online advertisements and on packaging. 

Moreover, a report from the UK Advertising Association earlier this year argued that sedentary lifestyles are more impactful on childhood obesity than junk food advertising. It also noted that the UK already has some of the strictest and most effective restrictions on the exposure of children to junk food advertising anywhere in the world. 

In the same speech where Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister, announced the Bill on Restricting Foods Promotions, she also highlighted goals to improve school meals by fall 2019. “We will set maximum limits for the consumption of red processed meat; increase the amount of fruit and vegetables served; reduce the amount of sugar available; and encourage the use of fresh local produce,” she said. 

Helping to halve childhood obesity by 2030 are increased weight management services also highlighted in the Programme for Government 2019-20. These will be for people being treated for, or who are at high risk of Type 2 diabetes. This follows a £42 million (US$52 million) investment for early adopters to redesign and deliver weight management services in line with the national guidelines. The new services will begin to become available over the coming year. 

The UK government’s recent move to ban the sale of energy drinks to people aged under 16 was broadly welcomed. However, as obesity rates continue to grow, Cancer Research UK is urging the government to learn from smoke-free initiatives to help cut excess weight.  

By Katherine Durrell