The food industry can make a big difference to the obesity problem...

The American food industry is waking up to the fact that America has a severe obesity problem and that they are partly to blame. Having been threatened with legal action, strict legislation regarding what they can produce and whole list of other things they have finally put their heads together and are voluntarily producing healthier and more nutritious snacks.

For example some of the initiatives include a reduction in the size of the snacks, the use of healthier fats, (i.e. not Trans fats), as well as a reduction in salt and sugar which also cause major health problems. For example the famous Kellogg Company that is well known for its breakfast cereals has made a pledge not to target unhealthy snacks and foods at children using cartoon characters such as Shrek. They also committed themselves to reduce the amounts of unhealthy additives in two of their snacks as well as reducing the amount of calories per portion.

The food industry can make a big difference to America’s obesity problem but all the companies need to sit around a table and they need to thrash out guidelines and voluntary codes in order for any initiatives to work. If one company uses cartoon characters to advertise its snacks to children it places other companies at a commercial disadvantage and that is why all the companies have to work together.

They also need to be voluntary guidelines on the amount of fat, salt, sugar and other additives that can be added to children snacks. Children are especially vulnerable to obesity as they are easily led in to unhealthy food choices and children who are obese are statistically likely to stay that way all through adult life. It is extremely important to get children to eat healthily at a younger age so that they continue doing that for the rest of their lives. 

Closer to home at Ukmedix News we feel that the United Kingdom government should be doing more to regulate the food industry and that half hearted attempts at discussion and regulation will not get anywhere.