Former Food Tsar Criticizes The UK Government Policies Of Using Weight Loss Drugs!
While weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have been getting much recognition, there can be some negative implications as well. Recently, the UK welcomed the usage of these drugs for weight loss. But the former food tsar, Henry Dimbleby has come against the reckless reliance on weight loss drugs.
According to him, more sustainable types of interventions are needed to tackle the obesity crisis. He urges the government to model after the interventionist approaches of Japan, France, and South Korea. Read on to find out what the former food tsar has to say regarding the over-dependence on weight loss drugs!
“Drugging The Way Out Is Not Possible”: Henry Dimbleby
Henry Dimbleby, the former food tsar of the UK Government has come with open criticism against the country’s policies regarding weight loss drugs. Known as the founder of the “healthy” fast food chain called ‘Leon’, Dimbleby is an acclaimed presence in the British food industry.
According to this veteran food expert, the UK should deal with obesity with an interventionist approach rather than relying too much on weight loss drugs. The current data show that obesity can take up around 6.1 million pounds of the NHS budget every year. Dimbleby has advised the UK government to approach the issue sustainably.
The former food tsar has raised the issue in the context of the UK being more dependent on weight loss drugs usage. According to Dimbleby, the issue should not be solved by using certain drugs, instead, the Government should take some bold actions.
Related: UK Pharmacies To Launch Wegovy In Spring 2023!
The suggestion of Dimbleby is relevant on the premise that the UK is one of the European countries with a higher rate of obesity. In the latest global data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), it was revealed that the obesity rate in the UK is around 26.2% while France has a rate of 17%. In the list, South Korea and Japan have the lowest, reaching around 5.5 and 4.2 percent respectively.
Dimbleby, who was the leading member of the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs in the UK, recently resigned from the post. His resignation was a criticism of the government’s obsession with the ‘ultra-free-market ideology’.
According to him, the government is going backward in its policy regarding food strategy. Appointed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dimbelby had been assigned with the duty to conduct an independent review of the national food strategy.
The report he made was published in 2021 in which Dimbleby advised imposing a snack tax on food with high saturated fats and sugar. The report which contains 280-page content also advised the implementation of free school meals for every Universal Credit household.
But the Government delayed the implementation of the snack tax blaming it on the cost of living. Even his other suggestions were discarded or neglected. Dimbleby had projected the seriousness of the situation pointing out that over two-thirds of the population in England are overweight and obese.
He demanded the Government sustainably approach this issue following the model of France, South Korea, and Japan. In France, certain policies to tax sugary drinks and advertising restrictions have been found successful in preventing the obesity pandemic.
Also in countries such as Japan and South Korea, sustainable measures and awareness are provided to tackle the obesity crisis. It is in this context, Dimbleby demands that the UK government needs to analyze the existing measures and not too much depend on weight loss drugs for dealing with the obesity pandemic.
Also read: U.S Military On The Grasps Of Obesity: Rates Increased During Pandemic!
