Counting calories could cost lives: responding to the government’s plans to tackle obesity

**trigger warning: eating disorders**

Today the Prime Minister has given more details on the government’s strategy to tackle obesity and suggested that restaurants with over 250 employees should add calorie counts to their menus. Obesity in this country is an urgent crisis that needs to be tackled head on, but the calorie counting aspect of the policy demonstrates how out of touch Boris Johnson is with disordered eating.

The inclusion of calorie counting labels on menus in larger restaurants is an incredibly damaging move. Whilst it is important that the government take steps to lessen the obesity crisis in the U.K, this step is a double edged sword. Yes, it may help inform and educate those trying to lose weight due to being obsese, but it could also trigger eating disorder sufferers and perhaps even trigger the start of someone’s eating disorder. When there are so many other, healthier ways we can tackle obesity, did the government really need to include calorie counting at restaurants?

“I am baffled as to why the government did not consider how damaging calorie counting can be.”

Eating disorders often involve an element of the sufferer wanting to feel in control of themselves by heavily restricting their food intake. Apps such as ‘My Fitness Pal’ are incredibly damaging for those suffering as you can input how many calories you want to consume in a day and if you log the food you eat it will tell you when you have gone over. I have heard stories of eating disorder survivors even to this day have the calories of certain foods memorised. I am baffled as to why the government did not consider how damaging calorie counting can be. Eating out at a restaurant may be something that is already triggering for survivors of eating disorders and it will only become more triggering if the calories of each dish are printed out in black and white.

I understand that learning how healthy your meals truly are is important for maintaining a healthy weight. But calorie counting and seeing how much you are eating in numbers equals guilt. Guilt should not be how the government combat obesity, it needs to be done through education from an early age and seeing being healthy as a positive lifestyle choice.

Despite this, the government should be commended for other aspects of their plan to tackle obesity. Supermarket managers are to be banned from placing confectionery in tempting areas in the store, such as by the tills. Whilst this change may seem small, I’m sure all of us have picked up a sweet treat by the tills at least once! You shouldn’t feel shamed for treating yourself to food that you know you love, but chocolate near the checkouts is more of an irrational choice than actively choosing to go to the confectionery aisle and deciding to buy something in a non time pressured situation.

Another positive change the government will make to tackle the obesity crisis is banning advertising of junk food before 9pm on television. Children are so influenced by what they see in the media that this will be a positive change for some. When I was younger I was much more influenced by toy adverts than junk food adverts – I was absolutely the child who wanted certain toys purely because of the advert. In a similar vain, I imagine there are children who are heavily influenced by food adverts so this is another welcome change.

“According to Public Health England, people who are clinically obese are 40% more likely to die of COVID-19.”

Nearly two thirds of adults and one in three children are obese in the UK, making us Europe’s “fattest nation”. There is a clear link between the impacts coronavirus can have on obese people and the implementation of drastic policies. Johnson stated that he was “way overweight” when he contracted coronavirus which led to him needing intensive care. According to Public Health England, people who are clinically obese are 40% more likely to die of COVID-19. Even if coronavirus wasn’t in the equation (one can dream!), clamping down on obesity will save an incredible amount of NHS time and money.