Supermarkets and food manufacturers in England will be expected to help tackle rising obesity rates by making it easier for customers to choose healthier food, under a new government initiative announced today.
Ministers have confirmed a partnership with major food retailers to improve the health of the nation through measures that could include promotions on healthy items, changes to shop layouts, tweaks to loyalty schemes, and product reformulation. While the precise steps will be left to individual retailers, the aim is to make healthy eating more accessible and affordable, particularly for families in lower-income areas.
Under the new strategy, large retailers will be required to report on the proportion of their sales that come from healthy food, with targets agreed in collaboration with the government. The move is designed to boost transparency and accountability across the sector.
The policy will form part of the NHS’s forthcoming 10-year plan for England, due to be published next week, and is seen as a key measure to reduce pressure on the health service.
“Unless we curb the rising tide of cost and demand, the NHS risks becoming unsustainable,” said Health Secretary Wes Streeting. “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 intervention comes as new figures reveal that over one in five children in England are living with obesity by the time they leave primary school—rising to nearly one in three in the most deprived communities.
While health campaigners have welcomed the renewed focus, they have warned that success depends on action across the entire food industry. Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said the government’s flexible approach is “really positive” but stressed that “all food businesses” must be engaged.
“We consume around a quarter of our calories outside the home,” Opie said. “Unless we get supermarkets, food retailers, and restaurants on board, we won’t move the dial on obesity.”
He added that retailers are well placed to take action, given their detailed insights into consumer behaviour and preferences.
Katharine Jenner, Director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said it was right that the government was focusing on structural change rather than placing the burden on individuals. “The government has rightly identified the root cause of obesity-related ill health: a food system that makes healthy eating difficult,” she said.
The new strategy also includes:
Shopping incentives via a new app offering vouchers for healthy eating and physical activity
Expanded NHS support, with a doubling of spaces on the Digital Weight Management Programme
Tighter advertising restrictions on alcohol, bringing them in line with rules on junk food promotion
The government cited research showing that reducing calorie consumption by just 50 calories a day could prevent obesity in two million adults and 340,000 children. Cutting just 216 calories a day—the equivalent of a bottle of fizzy drink—could halve the UK’s obesity rate.
However, past attempts at voluntary reformulation have yielded mixed results. A 2015 target to reduce sugar in food by 20% by 2020 fell significantly short.
Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund think tank, welcomed the initiative but warned its impact could be limited without broader changes. “A lot of less healthy food and drink is purchased from local convenience stores and takeaways,” she said. “Unless this is part of a wider, comprehensive strategy, it will not be enough.”
Anna Taylor, Executive Director of The Food Foundation, called the introduction of mandatory sales reporting for large food companies “a game changer”.
“This simple act of transparency delivers the opportunity for systemic change—informing better policy design and triggering boardroom conversations,” she said. “It will also clearly reveal to consumers which businesses are on their side and which are making it harder to eat well. The faster this is introduced, the better.”
The full details of the food industry partnership and the broader NHS 10-year plan are expected to be unveiled in the coming days.
