“Game changer weight-loss pills on way - in major boost to NHS”.
Whilst wandering the isles of Sweeney's in my local village this headline struck me. Yet again another silver bullet promise, in an attempt to tackle the obesity epidemic that is sweeping our country, and also the rest of the planet. The article suggests that 8 different medications are being tested and at least one may be available on the NHS by prescription in 2026.
What are your first thoughts when reading this? Maybe you think, ‘finally something to help me’, or maybe you're cynical as you’ve already tried weight loss meds and it didn’t work for you?
Whatever your views and opinions, we can't deny that treating dietary related diseases is one of the biggest challenges of our time, and sadly right now, they are leading to many preventable diseases and deaths. Obesity is just one of a whole host of other health conditions that people are living with; preventable by sustained dietary and lifestyle changes.
Although it has become the norm, prescribing medication for dietary related disease is often a band aid over the root cause of the problem which is multifaceted and intrinsically linked to the society and system we live in. It isn’t anyone's fault really, just an unfortunate reflection and result of a money driven society, which relies on people like you and me to remain in (for the system to stay intact), acting as unassuming bystanders trapped in a loop of consumerism, poor health and medication. The reality is that the medication approach to a disease caused by the abundance of highly processed food, sedentary lifestyle and low socio-economic status is not a long term solution. We need a multi pronged attack over many years to heal our societies health issues, alongside producing and providing enough food to sustain an ever growing population. And even then it most likely won’t work for everyone. It seems like an impossible situation. But don’t lose hope! You can still choose your health future. Here I'm going to break down the situation as I understand it……..
First Let’s Look At The Causes Of The Problem…
Low socioeconomic status - obesity is no longer a disease of the wealthy. It is now spreading through populations in deprived areas in countries where income is low and education on how to achieve health is non-existent. Cheap ultra processed foods (UPF) are easily accessible and appealing to this group due to their ease and generally low price. Also, familial behaviour is passed from generation to generation.
Fast, convenient and UPF foods - we are continually discovering what the impact of eating Frankenstein foods with high amounts of added saturated fats, refined sugar and salt on a regular basis can do to the body’s metabolic processes. We understand some of the mechanisms which are disrupted to contribute to metabolic problems like fatty liver disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Consuming these foods leads to over consumption, poor gut health, increased inflammation, weight gain, constipation, increased risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke, and could be linked to dementia.
Obesogenic (obesity encouraging) environment - UPF, convenience and fast foods are everywhere. Any place you visit on a regular basis, will be guaranteed to offer products that are not real food (Frankenstein foods), but rather a mixture of chemicals which mimic real foods. It is a challenge to find whole foods when travelling or out for the day. Fast food outlets target areas around schools and deprived areas.
Convenience - Our modern lifestyles do not facilitate the preparation of nourishing foods or prioritise health. We are taught from a young age to prioritise work above all else, with little regard for the importance of feeding your body well. I have witnessed this in schools where lunchtime is not used for eating, but rather for catching up with work (by teachers and students). Many of us mindlessly eat at our computer screens and fail to even notice the food we are eating, or how full we are.
Sedentary lifestyles - we are less active than ever before due to the ever increasing use of devices at work and during our down time. For many it is more tempting to sit on the sofa and binge watch a series than it is to go outside for a walk, especially when the weather is not conducive!
Food prices - it seems crazy and wrong that it’s more expensive to buy organic food that is grown naturally, than it is to buy food that is sprayed with pesticides or created in a laboratory. This is a sad reflection of the food system which is driven by money and competition; focussing on designing products to trigger your brain’s pleasure centres, rather than providing good quality healthy food in the most sustainable way possible.
Cost of living - We all know how energy bills have shot up, but also the cost of living is now so much higher, prioritising food is not possible for many. Struggling to pay energy bills and rent leaves little money left over for food and so prices become the main influencer for food choices. Sadly, it's perceived as cheaper to buy UPF, but this is not the case! I have hundreds of cheap and healthy recipes, they just take a bit of planning and preparation (another barrier for some).
Lack of awareness and misleading labelling - many people don’t know that foods they are choosing to eat e.g. ‘healthy’ breakfast cereals are causing them to gain weight, spike blood sugar, have sugar cravings, crash and feel sleepy in the afternoon. Packaging can be misleading as well as messages that for example a ‘vegan’ sausage is healthier (its probably not) just because it's vegan. Companies are now using the term ‘plant based’ to confuse consumers even more.
I could go on but I hope you can see that the obesity/diabetes epidemic is a complex issue with many areas of potential focus for change. Although I probably may not have the whole picture, I have spent a long time studying and working in this sector so I can see where there are opportunities for change. These suggestions I make below are not going to fix things overnight, but I believe that if funding was split and distributed towards tackling the root cause of these diseases by investing in ‘health care’; caring for people's health and preventing disease in the first place, then this could be a better use of resources.
Suggested Strategies To Tackle The Metabolic Disease Epidemic
Prescribe dietary and lifestyle changes to individuals with dietary related diseases, alongside medication to ensure the best success and remove the lifelong reliance on medication for weight loss and symptom management. Once a patient is at desired weight, they are empowered with the skills and knowledge necessary to sustain a healthy weight for life, without meds.
Divert some NHS funding towards nutrition professionals to support patients on this journey, including group sessions out of hospitals and GP surgeries. Create local communities to help support change and benefit each individual, as well as increase the likelihood of sustained change.
Advertise whole foods as a better option to UPF or convenience foods in supermarkets. Regulate advertising so that UPF cannot be marketed as ‘healthy’, so consumers have a more accurate idea of what they are buying.
Stop targeting children with shiny colourful packets and cartoon characters, or advertising before the watershed. It's not fair that impressionable young children are targeted and then hooked on these foods, so they develop diabetes or obesity in childhood and face a lifetime of health problems.
Put warning signs on foods that contain ingredients which have been scientifically proven to cause disease. The consumer can then make an informed choice about what they are buying, rather than falsely thinking the food they are buying is a healthy or good choice.
Label processed meats like frankfurters, salami, sausages and bacon as Class 1 carcinogen and red meat as Class 2. These have been categorised by the WHO to warn that consuming these foods is linked to and contributes to cancer. Many people won’t know this unless they go looking for the information.
Provide more subsidies to organic and whole food producers to encourage farmers to diversify into this area, and reduce the use of pesticides and fertilisers which damage the environment. Increased use of hormones in dairy and meat production as well as in our water has been linked to reduced fertility and sperm count in men. We need more affordable organic food.
Introduce an industry tax on UPF/fast foods directly related to diseases, similar to the soft drinks industry levy, to encourage the food industry to produce better quality products and incentivise the use of real ingredients, making them cheaper to use.
Educate children on the real lifelong effects of eating a poor diet and teach every child how to cook nourishing meals from a young age. Education has to be a big player in this, as young children form ideas and behaviour during school years. Making health a bigger priority; maintaining mental and physical health should be at the top of the list of lifeskills.
Change the abundance and availability of UPF and convenience food in shops and supermarkets to make it easier for the consumer to find healthier options. This may seem a bit nanny state, but it's happened with cigarettes which are also classed as a class 1 carcinogen. Why not with foods in the same category?
End offers like buy one get one free on UPF products, processed meats and foods including high added sugar content; instead change it to offer attractive deals on whole food produce like fresh/frozen fruits, veggies, beans, nuts for example. Over time the prices will lower for these products as consumer demand increases.
There is no simple or clear answer, but there needs to be a shift in the way our food is produced, marketed and advertised, who it is targeting and how we are all educated about it. This type of change is a long term project and also requires people to want to change, which is a barrier in itself.
What Can You Do?
Are you wondering what ‘little you’ can do to influence change? You can do a huge amount! Each day you buy and eat food is an opportunity to influence the food industry. I work with those who are already living with the pain and disease caused by poor dietary choices. Our system encourages this and so inadvertently promotes dietary related disease. Its my goal to raise awareness amongst the public to know that as the consumers, they have a lot of power to influence what food are sold and produced.You may feel like a tiny cog in a huge machine, but each of us can choose what to buy and eat on a daily basis, and it’s this demand that drives the food industry to create new products. We are entering a time of health awakening; more awareness and change towards a new normal which I hope means that more people will choose the whole food healthy way.
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