BANT supports Dimbleby’s protest at government’s “insane” inaction against obesity

The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) fully supports Henry Dimbleby’s move to step down from his role as government food advisor in protest at the lack of action against obesity and junk food culture. BANT has continually called on the government to improve, not remove its obesity strategy following the 2020 publication of Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, and expressed dismay at DEFRA’s inadequate white paper response. Dimbleby’s resignation speaks volumes for where ‘obesity’ sits in the government’s current priorities. The NHS is in crisis with strike-action crippling it further, yet the government continually refuses or delays legislation to impose restrictions on the junk-food industry – a key driver of the high UK obesity rates. BANT CEO, Satu Jackson, states “The nation is literally eating itself into a state of avoidable chronic disease, and the government has no policy on prevention”. And in Dimbleby’s words “if the problem is not dealt with, we’re going to be mopping up for years to come”. As BANT recently highlighted, there are not enough GP’s to tackle non-communicable disease and investing in prevention may be the only way to save the NHS.