Obesity & Food Portion Sizes - UK
Obesity Blamed on Food Portion Sizes
The rise in the levels of obesity, weight gain, cancer and other diseases
are linked to increasingly larger sizes of food portions in the UK, according
to the The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). The finger was clearly pointed
at the food industry, whose supersize and value offerings were pinpointed
as encouraging consumers to eat more while paying less. Research from
the US presented at a WCRF conference in London showed that the increasing
size of food portions on offer there - sometimes two to three times more
than they were a decade or so ago - were linked to rising levels of obesity
and other serious ailments such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Obesity Levels Rise in EU
According to the WCRF, food manufacturers need to be aware of the health
risks entailed by attempting to win over consumers by offering them more
food for less money, while the authorities should do more to highlight
the threat from obesity - a risk factor for many common cancers.
The WCRF cited figures which showed that more than 70,000 new cases of
cancer in the EU are linked to obesity levels each year, with a massive
9,000 of these coming in the UK alone.
Obesity & Food Industry
But the UK food industry was quick to respond to the criticisms. "The
WCRF has missed its target," said Martin Paterson, deputy director
general of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). "UK food and drink
manufacturers provide many of our favorite products in a wide variety
of sizes and styles to suit consumers' varied nutritional needs and tastes.
This widens people's choices for building a healthy, balanced diet. Larger
packs are not always consumed by one person or at one session and parents
can now often choose mini products and multi packs."
Source: Food Navigator.com
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