Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist
Maybe it is time to fight against unhealthy food using the same tactics as have helped reduce smoking.
Researchers at the School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, South Africa, are comparing the epidemic of obesity with the epidemic of smoking and highlighting the role of industry.
Foods high in fat, sugar and salt are cheap and readily available, just as cigarettes were. This encourages over-consumption. The experts say that the food industry always claim that it is not over-eating, but lack of exercise, which causes obesity. In truth, it's a bit of both. The industry also magnifies disagreements between scientists - when they are more united than you might think. And we don't always get the information we need from the food industry.
Tactics suggested by the researchers include making unhealthy food more expensive - as has been done with cigarettes. There could also be, as with tobacco, more restrictions on advertising. And maybe some foods could even be subject to marketing restrictions. It's controversial stuff, but clearly action needs to be taken as obesity escalates into a full scale public health disaster.
Source
British Medical Journal 26th June Volume 328 pages 1558-1560