Mixed reaction from people in West Midlands to calorie labeling on menus
It's being introduced as part of government plans
Last updated 13th May 2021
Calories will be labelled on menus and food labels in out-of-home food businesses from April 2022, the government has announced.
Regulations have been laid out in parliament requiring large businesses with 250 or more employees in England, including cafes, restaurants and takeaways, to display the calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drink items that are prepared for customers.
Calorie information will need to be displayed at the point of choice for the customer, such as physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms and food labels.
The measures, which form part of the government’s wider strategy to tackle obesity, will help to ensure people are able to make more informed, healthier choices when it comes to eating food out or ordering takeaways.
It is estimated that overweight and obesity related conditions across the UK cost the NHS £6.1 billion each year. Almost two-thirds (63%) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity – and 1 in 3 children leave primary school overweight or obese.
Public Health Minister, Jo Churchill, said:
“Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for people to make healthier food choices for themselves and their families, both in restaurants and at home. That is why we want to make sure everyone has access to accurate information about the food and drink we order.
“These measures form an important building block in our strategy to support and encourage people in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight.”
We also wanted to hear from people in the West Midlands to see what they think:
23-year-old Talia Sinnott's from Wolverhampton, she suffered with anorexia from the age of 14 and is now in recovery:
"I've suffered from an eating disorder and I do know the detrimental impact this can have.
"When I used to go out for a meal, it was such a big event, it's eating out in public, not knowing the portion sizes, or being able to control what goes into my food.
"Having numbers put in front of me in black and white will only add to that anxiety, because my whole life is based around numbers.
"It might be a better option to have it on a separate menu, so it's a choice whether you look at it, or not."
Alex is the chef/owner of The Wilderness restaurant in the Jewellery Quarter:
"I think in a year where hospitality has had more than enough challenge for a life time.
"Putting more burden on hospitality, which will increase the amount of work, cost, the skills needed to put calorie counts on menus, I'm not convinced this is an effective way to promote healthy eating.
"I think everything in balance"
Nicola Richards in the MP for West Bromwich East:
"It will empower people to make healthier choices in line with a broader aim to shift healthcare to focus more on prevention rather than treatment.
"The increase risk of Covid-19 to people living with obesity is a wake-up call for people to think about getting active and eating better.
"Life expectancy in West Bromwich is five years less than Westminster.
"Sandwell has the fourth highest percentage of children aged 10-11 that are obese or overweight in England.
"I believe calorie labeling will let people make more informed choices."
Jennifer Cohen's a part-time student in Birmingham, she's recovered from anorexia:
"This policy creates a very obsessive and rule based attitude to food, which is what an eating disorder thrives off.
"It's also trying to guilt people into weight loss.
"What it doesn't do is provide nutritional transparency, because calories themselves tell us very little about the nutritional content in food.
"You could be in a calorie deficit and just eating junk food all day, unless you have the nutritional understanding to use this information correctly, you're not likely to lose weight.
"I agree we are facing a huge public health crisis when it comes to obesity and healthy living, there does need to be some kind of invention."
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