The numbers in the UK are staggering: Unhealthy diets cost an estimated £268 billion annually. Some 2.8 million people are out of work due to diet-related illness. Two-thirds of our calories come from ultra-processed foods that are also high in fat, sugar and salt. And three decades of government effort to address the issue involving 14 different obesity strategies and nearly 700 policy proposals have failed to prevent adult obesity rates from doubling since the 1990s.
The food system’s problems are becoming plainer to see, but these numbers also suggest big problems in our politics—because, despite a lot of effort, our policies and strategies just aren’t working.
But answers may be in sight. Within weeks of each other in November, two major reports landed: the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee’s “Recipe for Heath”; and public health expert Dr Dolly van Tulleken and the UK government’s former food policy advisor Henry Dimbleby’s “Nourishing Britain”. These are both hard-hitting reports; looking at them together can increase our insight into the roots and scale of Britain’s food crisis—and offer a strong argument for the political mechanics needed to address it.
Twin crises: Food system failure and political inefficacy
First, the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee published “Recipe for Health”. The report brings together weighty and wide-ranging oral and written evidence from many experts across the food system. It takes a breathtakingly frank and in-depth assessment of our food systems and frames the current state of affairs as presenting nothing less than a public health emergency.
The evidence is stark: Obesity rates have doubled since 1990. Children in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to live with obesity than those in the least deprived areas, with rates rising from more than 21% at school entry to almost 37% by the time they leave. Perhaps most alarmingly, over 1,200 children were treated for type 2 diabetes in 2022–23—a disease previously rare in children. The Lords Committee rightly concludes that supporting people in eating well must be a top priority to prevent ill health in the UK. Notably, this is the first major UK parliamentary report to extensively examine the role of ultra-processed foods in driving poor health outcomes.
Complementing this evidence base with actionable insights, “Nourishing Britain” shows what’s required for implementing change based on candid reflections from those who have occupied the highest offices of state. Through interviews with twenty senior politicians—including three former prime ministers and ten former health secretaries—the study reveals the messy reality of why good policies so often fail. All twenty interviewees agreed that government action has been insufficient, with many expressing personal regret at not having done more during their time in power.
This political honesty revealed four major barriers that have repeatedly derailed progress: the potency of “nanny state” rhetoric, complex relationships between government and industry, competing priorities that drain political capital, and the challenge of coordinating action across multiple government departments. Understanding these barriers—and how to overcome them—presents a pathway forward.
A practical path forward: Building on lessons learned
Having identified the barriers to change, “Nourishing Britain” outlines four essential ingredients for success. From Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron’s call for “bold, innovative steps” to Labour Health Secretary Andy Burnham’s demand for a “Right to Food”—“Nourishing Britain” reveals how successful policies have been achieved.
- First, deploy compelling arguments that reframe the debate—showing how healthier food systems support economic prosperity and reduce inequality.
- Second, build broad coalitions that extend beyond the usual public health voices.
- Third, secure prime ministerial engagement to drive coordination across government departments.
- Fourth, act boldly and swiftly—as George Osborne notes, “the lasting things in politics are often the difficult things”.
These principles are already proving effective. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy has halved children’s sugar consumption from soft drinks. Transport for London’s ban on junk food advertising has been linked to nearly 95,000 fewer cases of obesity and almost 3,000 cases of diabetes prevented or delayed.
Building on these successes requires action on multiple fronts. “Recipe for Health” recommends, as a matter of urgency, that government adopt a food strategy to create a comprehensive and integrated approach to tackling these problems. It was good to hear that just such an initiative will be launched in 2025.
The Lords report also calls for expanded powers for the Food Standards Agency and to exclude food businesses that derive a significant proportion of sales from less healthy products from policy formation on food and diets. The report echoes other recent calls to set mandatory health targets for food businesses. Meanwhile, local authorities need greater powers to shape healthier food environments through planning and licensing. The report’s framing of obesity and diet-related disease as a public health emergency demanding radical new regulation reflects growing recognition that incremental change is no longer enough.
Crucially, there is growing public appetite for change. Most people—some 68% of the public—believe it’s the government’s job to ensure everyone can access affordable healthy food. Everyone has a role to play. Government must provide leadership and clear regulatory frameworks. Industry needs to shift from resistance to adaptation. Public health experts and campaigners must continue building the evidence base and maintaining pressure for change. But ultimately, as both reports make clear, the responsibility for transforming our food system lies with political leaders willing to use their power to effect meaningful change. And the pressure on them comes from all of us.
Time for action: Join the movement for change
Britain’s food system didn’t get this way by accident—it’s the result of poor policy implementation, industry influence, and political inertia. Both reports recognise that the barriers to change aren’t primarily about evidence or policy ideas—it turns out that we have plenty of those. The challenge lies in implementation. We have the evidence, the political insights, and the public support needed—all the ingredients for a meaningful transformation. Now is the time to use them.
Everyone can be part of pushing for change, putting pressure on politicians to take bold steps. If you want to get involved, become part of the movement with organisations like Sustain, The Food Foundation, and Bite Back, who are leading campaigns for healthier food environments. And bring some direct pressure yourself: contact your MP and let them know you support strong government action on food-related ill health. The clock is ticking on our nation’s health—let’s not wait any longer to act.
I write about the future of food and the connections between our food systems, the environment and public health. Sign up for my newsletter.
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