October 16, 2024 — Jabs for jobs. This very British headline sums up a bold effort in the UK to assess the economics of providing better access to obesity care within the National Health System. Right now, access to obesity care is highly constrained, reflecting an outdated presumption within the NHS that “we cannot treat our way out of […]
January 14, 2024 — Following in America’s footsteps, the UK applies something of a make-believe approach to dealing with obesity. With furrowed brow, policy makers acknowledge that obesity is undermining the health of the nation – not to mention the financial status of the vaunted National Health Service. The consequences of untreated obesity are multiplying so fast that it’s […]
June 14, 2022 — Boris Johnson has come to a new view on food, health, and obesity. “The best way to lose weight, believe me, is to eat less,” he said yesterday. And thus, he seems to justify dropping any pretense of interest in addressing obesity. In line with this, his UK government released a new food policy document […]
May 17, 2022 — The British strategy to reverse trends in the health effects of obesity is “falling apart.” So says the distinguished obesity expert Jamie Oliver. He’s a chef, a celebrity, and thus an authority on the complex mix of biological, social, and political science that defines the public health struggle with obesity. But despite his wishes to […]
September 3, 2020 — The government has recently announced a strategy aimed at reducing obesity in the UK. It will introduce a ban on unhealthy food advertisements on TV before a certain hour, end “buy one, get one free” junk food deals, and create more comprehensive calorie contents on food and drinks. The government has also launched the Better […]
August 16, 2020 — Who knew that Boris Johnson was a secret fan of Michelle Obama? If imitation is sincere flattery, we see some flattery of her in the new Better Health campaign coming from the NHS. Let’s Move! has become Let’s Do This! So the UK is on a crash course of self-directed weight loss, with a little […]
November 6, 2018 — It’s hard to watch. The UK is coming to grips with the notion that the country faces a growing problem with obesity. And so, policymakers are trotting out some unfortunate ideas for dealing with it. But somehow, Health Secretary Matt Hancock managed to pack up the worst of it into a tidy package. He’s urging […]
