Health Secretary tells overweight voters they could save NHS £5billion a year by having one less fizzy drink a day
Overweight Brits drinking one less fizzy drink a day could save the NHS a whopping £5billion a year, according to Labour's new plan to tackle the obesity crisis.
The government has estimated that if everyone reduced their diets by 216 calories a day - the equivalent of a bottle of fizzy drink - obesity rates would be halved.
It comes as health secretary Wes Streeting and environment secretary Steve Reed outlined plans to improve Britain's overall health.
Writing for The Mirror, they said: '[Drinking one less fizzy drink] would save the NHS around £5 billion a year, which could be reinvested in cutting waiting lists, making sure the NHS is there for us when we need it once again.'
New data released last year revealed that England's obesity crisis has continued to deepen, despite billions being spent on treatment and prevention.
Nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight, with an extra 260,000 people entering that category last year.
More than a quarter (26.5 per cent) — an estimated 14 million people — are obese.
Yesterday, it was revealed that supermarkets could be forced to ensure that shoppers make healthier food choices.
Plans are being drawn up for supermarkets to promote fruit and vegetables to customers instead of fattening items like crisps and chocolate.
These proposals are also believed to be part of Mr Streeting's ten-year NHS plan which is due to be published next week.
Under the shopping policy, the largest retailers will be forced to record data which shows how successful they are in convincing consumers to swap out fattening items for healthier alternatives.
It could result in supermarkets adjusting the layout of their stores so healthy items are displayed more prominently.
Retailers have the ability to reformulate their own-brand products to make them more healthy as well as change signage and marketing to make nutritious foods look more appealing, according to policymakers.
Details of the proposal are yet to be completely signed off but officials believe that providing supermarkets with clear targets on encouraging shoppers to make better choices could help reduce obesity levels in the country.
The plans are based on a ten-year obesity blueprint which was developed by think tank Nesta.
'We urgently need to reshape our food system so that the healthier option is the easiest option for everyone, regardless of where you buy your food,' it said in its report.
'By implementing ambitious yet achievable mandatory health targets for retailers, we can make real progress towards these goals and start turning the tide on obesity once and for all.'
Labour MPs have been asking the Health Secretary to adopt the proposals privately and all major supermarkets have been briefed on it.
One Labour MP, who supports the policy, said: 'These are really simple things that you can change, and it may mean giving supermarkets a bit of a hit.
'But it's how you get people to make changes to their behaviour.
'It's a bit like the smoking in pubs. People were dead against it and then when they did it, even smokers supported it - that switch in behaviour that is seen as unthinkable, but that's how you change things.'
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