London, July 8 (IANS) Health campaigners are shocked by the British government’s conditional proposal not to take action against food firms manufacturing sugary, salty and fatty drinks and eats.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley first announced a cut of 50 million pounds for the government’s Change4Life Campaign to check soaring rates of obesity.
Then he told the food firms that if they pay for the advertising campaign, the government would not legislate against the production of unhealthy food.
He said he wanted to free business from regulation.
A statement quoted the logic behind his proposal: ‘It’s not about good food or bad food because that way, you just close companies out. It’s actually about a good diet or bad diet, good exercise or lack of exercise, it’s about people having a responsibility.’
The National Obesity Forum reacted sharply: ‘It sees them as nothing other than a bare-faced request for cash from a rich food and drink industry to bail out a cash-starved department of health campaign. The quid pro quo is that the department gives industry an assurance that there will be no regulation or legislation over its activities.’
The British Heart Foundation said: ‘We wait with bated breath for the fast food merchants, chocolate bar makers and fizzy drink vendors to beat a path to the public health door. Meanwhile, parents and children continue to be faced with the bewildering kaleidoscope of confusing food labels and pre-watershed junk food adverts.’
