I can assure you that tackling these disorders through early and effective treatment remains a key priority of our NHS.
My colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care are looking at measures to reduce obesity and I support their commitment to striking a careful balance between enabling people to make healthier food and drink choices, but I can understand your concerns about the impact on eating disorders. I appreciate your concerns about calorie labelling at large out-of-home businesses with 250 or more employees. An equality assessment was undertaken alongside the development of an obesity strategy to understand the impact of these proposals, including on people with eating disorders. My understanding is that, although some research has shown that label use on packaged foods was related to engagement in some unhealthy weight behaviours, it is more likely that participants will engage with healthy weight control behaviours.
it is vital that we equip people with the information to make decisions about their food intake, more than a third of children are leaving primary school and nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. Information on the energy content of food and drink is already widely available in supermarkets through mandatory nutrition labelling requirements on pre-packaged foods and some restaurants. The Government is committed to striking a careful balance between informing and educating people to make healthier choices, while not negatively impacting people with eating disorders or those in recovery from eating disorders. This issue will, of course, require careful monitoring, and I will continue to monitor it.
