Make healthy food more appealing, government tells supermarkets

“They’ve had 14 years in opposition to think about what they wanted to do about the NHS,” MP Helen Whately told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, adding: “They’ve had a year in government, and the number one thing in it seems to be hide the crisps”.

“Telling people what to buy, I think, is not up to government. I believe in personal responsibility” she said.

The plans may also involve changing products to make them healthier.

It is hoped the strategy will help to make healthy eating more accessible to customers and relieve pressure on the NHS.

The policy will see major food retailers report on healthy food sales in a bid to increase accountability – and targets will be agreed in partnership with industry..

The plan is part of a raft of measures aimed at improving the health of the nation that will be included in the 10-year plan for the NHS in England, which is expected to be published next week.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the new strategy was “radically different” from the previous government’s “nanny stated approach of dictating to people the prices, the marketing” and instead “working with supermarkets” to encourage healthier eating.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme with host Victoria Derbyshire, Streeting added: “If we reduced our calorie intake by just fifty calories a day then we can get well over 300,000 children out of obesity, 2 million adults”.

The upcoming report will show that more than one in five children is living with obesity by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost one in three in the most deprived areas – costing the NHS £11bn a year.

A recent report found a basket of healthy food costs more than double that of less healthy options.

The Food Foundation reported that 1,000 calories of healthy food such as fruit and veg costs £8.80, compared to £4.30 for the equivalent amount of less healthy food, such as ready meals and processed meats.