Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Calls are growing for regulation of junk food, with experts saying the government is doing too little to tackle obesity and is playing into the hands of the food and drinks industry by relying on it to curb unhealthy ingredients and refrain from promoting their products to children.
Dr Tim Lobstein, director of policy and programmes at the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), said voluntary agreements such as the government's responsibility deal with food and drink companies offered more benefit to the industry than the public.
"It is a very valuable opportunity for industry to play for time," Lobstein said. "It is an opportunity for some members to promise to adhere to some of the commitments, but not for others. It is an opportunity for some companies not to turn up at all. In our view it is not a very adequate process. It leads mainly to tinkering at the edges of the food supply. It doesn't really change the overall environment."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/18/food-industry-regulation-obesity-expert
Dr Tim Lobstein, director of policy and programmes at the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), said voluntary agreements such as the government's responsibility deal with food and drink companies offered more benefit to the industry than the public.
"It is a very valuable opportunity for industry to play for time," Lobstein said. "It is an opportunity for some members to promise to adhere to some of the commitments, but not for others. It is an opportunity for some companies not to turn up at all. In our view it is not a very adequate process. It leads mainly to tinkering at the edges of the food supply. It doesn't really change the overall environment."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/18/food-industry-regulation-obesity-expert