Food businesses must make it easier for customers to buy healthy food, under new government plans announced on Sunday.
Supermarkets and food manufacturers in England will partner with the government to tackle obesity rates by encouraging people to make their weekly shop healthier.
Ministers say it will be up to food retailers to decide how they do that, but it could involve offering promotions on healthy food, tweaking loyalty points to incentivise healthy options, or changing shop layouts.
It may also involve changing products to make them healthier.
It is hoped the plans 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.
“Unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable,” Health Secretary Wes Streeting said.
“This government’s ambition for kids today is for them to be part of the healthiest generation of children ever. That is within our grasp.”
The upcoming report will show that more than one in five children are living with obesity by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost one in three in the most deprived areas.
A recent report found that healthy foods was double the cost of regular foods.
