Action needed to curb advertising unhealthy food and drinks to adults as well as children - IDDT
Jenny Hirst, MBE, Co-chair
| InDependent Diabetes Trust
We hope that Public Health England will explain where this is going to come from because we know that many people who already have Type 2 diabetes do not receive the help, advice and support they need to make the essential lifestyle changes, says IDDT.
As a Charity for people with diabetes, the InDependent Diabetes Trust supports the British Heart Foundation in calling for further regulatory action to reduce the sugar and fat content and to curb the junk food advertising directed at young children.
The food industry is not acting with sufficient speed and we would go further to also recommend that action be taken to curb advertising unhealthy food and drinks to adults. The advertising of cigarettes was stopped on health grounds, so the advertising of unhealthy foods and drinks should be treated in a similar way.
We note that the spokesperson for Public Health England (PHE) suggest that everyone can make important lifestyle changes to reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes but offer no advice on how people can do this. We know from the experiences of people with diabetes that changing lifestyle, particularly changes in diet are not easy to make and people need education and support to do this.
We hope that PHE will explain where this is going to come from because we know that many people who already have Type 2 diabetes do not receive the help, advice and support they need to make the essential lifestyle changes.
