The World Health Organization (WHO), a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for global public health, has reportedly chosen the United Kingdom to spearhead a Sugar and Calorie Reduction Network across Europe to take a worldwide action on sugar as well as calorie intake reduction.
According to reports, Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, announced the creation of the network, which would work alongside nations throughout Europe to decrease sugar and calorie consumption. The EU region for WHO encompasses approximately 50 countries, well beyond the scope of the European Commission.
The United Kingdom has agreed to lend its world-class experience in domestic sugar and calorie intake management to its neighboring nations in Europe. Work will be done with the food and beverage industries to make their goods healthier by lowering the sugar content in items high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS), consequently supporting the fight against global obesity rates.
This initiative puts the UK's ‘Global Britain' objectives into action, with the UK engaging with member states to fuel collective action to influence the continent, and the rest of the world in the fight against obesity.
According to evidence, obese people are at a higher risk of being very sick and dying from COVID-19 than healthy people. By taking a stand and reducing the amount of sugar and calories put into food and beverages, the network will not only tackle growing rates of global obesity, but will also enhance global resistance to COVID-19 and other future pandemics.
UK's Public Health Minister, Jo Churchill, stated that obesity is a severe global problem and the world has to take immediate action to help people live better lives. Churchill added that it begins with decreasing the use of ingredients that are bad for people's health in the foods and beverages.
The WHO’s Sugar & Calorie Reduction Network would launch in spring of 2022, and the WHO EU will reach out to member countries to invite them to participate.
Source credit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-spearhead-europe-wide-initiative-to-reduce-sugar-and-calorie-intake-in-food
