UK FSA Launches Saturated Fat Campaign to Help Prevent Heart Disease

Diet is a key risk factor in heart disease and it is estimated that cutting our intake of saturated fat could prevent up to 3,500 premature deaths a year, saving the UK economy more than £1 billion a year in related costs.

10/02/09 The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a public health campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of eating too much saturated fat. The UK is currently eating 20% more saturated fat than UK Government recommendations.

The campaign will promote a range of simple, positive and practical steps we can take to help improve our health and reduce the risk of developing diet-related illness.

Long term, a diet high in saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels in the blood, which is a risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases such as coronary heart disease, heart attacks, angina and stroke – or cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the most common cause of death in the UK and in 2006 was responsible for about one in three premature deaths. Diet is a key risk factor in heart disease and it is estimated that cutting our intake of saturated fat could prevent up to 3,500 premature deaths a year, saving the UK economy more than £1 billion a year in related costs .

The FSA’s activity includes a graphic 40-second TV advertisement illustrating that saturated fat can come from a variety of everyday foods and shows what a build up of fatty deposits could do to the heart over time. The setting is a typical fridge in an average home. A jug of saturated fat is poured down the sink, overloading and blocking a kitchen pipe to vividly bring to life the message that too much saturated fat is bad for your heart.

The health message is supported by a series of print advertisements that show how easy it is to make simple yet effective changes to the way we shop, cook and eat. Straightforward tips to reduce saturated fat intake include: cutting the fat off meat, switching to lower fat dairy products, and using vegetable oils instead of butter when cooking – all designed to help shift people’s everyday habits with the aim of improving the nation’s overall diet related health.

The case for this campaign is highlighted by FSA research published, which reveals that nearly half the UK (48%) thought that there was no need to worry about how much saturated fat they ate if, for example, they took regular exercise, were not overweight or ate lots of fruit and vegetables3.

Tim Smith, Food Standards Agency Chief Executive, said: “People say they do know that saturated fat is bad for them but they don’t necessarily link it to heart disease and what they are eating. It’s important they make that connection, because heart disease is the UK’s number one killer - one in three of us will die as a result. There are simple ways we can cut down the amount of saturated fat we all eat and protect our health. We need to eat leaner meat and a bit less cheese, switch to lower fat milks and eat healthier snacks, cutting down on cakes and biscuits.”

”Supermarkets and manufacturers have done some good work so that now when we’re shopping there is an increasing range of lower saturated fat foods available and better labelling, and we’d like to see more of this. It is important that we work together to increase the variety of healthier foods available and continue to address this important public health issue together.”

As well as support from major supermarkets, manufacturers and some caterers, the FSA is also backed by the British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, Heart UK, National Federation of Women’s Institute and NetMums, working to ensure that those at risk from heart disease are reached by this campaign.

Michael Livingston, HEART UK Director, said in support: “The Cholesterol Charity (HEART UK) wholeheartedly supports the FSA's campaign to help people understand how too much saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. By focusing on practical swaps and changes that can easily be made, the campaign shows how simple it is to reduce the amount of saturated fat we eat. It is important that we all become more aware of the small steps we can take, which can make a real difference to our own and importantly, our families' risk of heart disease.”

Two new FSA surveys, show that people need to be reminded that heart disease can affect anyone, and that the risk is significantly heightened if their diet is high in saturated fat. Of the people surveyed as part of the FSA’s annual survey of Public Attitudes to Food Issues (PAFI):

• 94% had heard of saturated fat and
• 61% stated we should be eating less, and yet the UK continues to eat more than is recommended for our health.

A second consumer survey carried out to support the campaign revealed that people are also less concerned about the high incidence of CVD in the UK. Although CVD is responsible for one in three deaths, it was ranked as only the third biggest health risk after obesity and cancers .

This survey also revealed that many of us are unaware of simple changes we can make to reduce the amount of saturated fat we eat:

• only a fifth (20%) of people choose to eat fish or poultry instead of red meat, only a quarter of people (24%) cut the white bits off the meat and a fifth (20%) choose meat with less white on it – all options for reducing the amount of saturated fat in our food
• not even a third (29%) of people take the skin off chicken/poultry before cooking (or buy it without the skin), which reduces the saturated fat content
• less than half (43%) of people regularly grill their meat, which is a healthier way of cooking, while a tenth still fry their meat for extra flavour (11%)
• almost two thirds (63%) of people think that healthier foods are more expensive than unhealthier foods, highlighting the need for practical, cost-effective tips

These findings suggest that there is an opportunity for all of us to make simple changes that will allow us to continue to enjoy a range of foods as part of a balanced diet, while reducing our intakes of saturated fat. How we can all make these simple changes is the focus of the campaign’s tips and the subject of the eleven print advertisements.

To coincide with the launch of the campaign, the Agency has introduced a new recipe section on its consumer advice website, eatwell.gov.uk

All the recipes have been analysed nutritionally so users can see what each portion contains in terms of sat fat, fats, salt and sugar, and the traffic lights displayed accordingly. The recipes can also be searched by type of meal, and whether they are suitable for vegetarians, vegans and people who need to avoid nuts, gluten or dairy.

The diet of the average British adult contains too much saturated fat, added sugar and salt. Since 2004 the Agency has been working with industry to reformulate foods to reduce the amount of salt they contain, along with communicating the health impacts of a high-salt diet directly to consumers. It is now extending that focus to saturated fat and the balance of calories that we need for good health.

The Agency’s saturated fat campaign is part of Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives and specifically ties in with the joint DoH/FSA Healthy Food Code of Good Practice. We aim to do this by raising consumer understanding and awareness of saturated fat and working with the food industry to encourage the reformulation of products that contribute the most saturated fat to our diets.

Reformulation of foods in order to reduce the amount of saturated fat they contain presents a more complex technical challenge than reducing salt, where the Agency has been active since 2004. In some foods, saturated fat provides an important structural function as well as contributing to the tastes of products and reducing it is not as simple as producing lower salt foods.