Food and drink giants pledge big money to tackle Britain's obesity problem

Jul 24 2008

A group of food and drinks companies in Britain have pledged more than £200 million to help tackle the UK's obesity problem.

The consortium of companies which include Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, Mars and Nestle are headed by the Advertising Association which is offering air space, on-pack messages and cash, to encourage people to eat healthily and exercise in readiness for the 2012 London Olympics.

According to the Department of Health the details are still being worked out but it is expected that companies or coalitions involved will sign off on a set of standards.

The Government-led campaign, called Change4Life is being launched in the autumn, and is part of a national initiative aimed at tackling Britain's growing obesity problem.

The call is for everyone to become involved from individuals to the chiefs of major supermarkets, and to do what they can to help people lead healthier lives.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson has written to 220,000 community activists to ask them to join the campaign and says a "national movement for change" is needed to tackle Britain's growing problems with obesity.

The latest figures show that currently two thirds of adults and a third of children are either overweight or obese in the UK and this is expected to rise to almost nine in 10 adults and two thirds of children by 2050, putting them at serious risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.