Public Health England recommends calorie limits for food sold at restaurants, supermarkets, etc

[PR1Berske]

Story in Boxing Day's Telegraph reports that Public Health England will force ready meal manufacturers and cafes/restaurants/takeaways to have a strict maximum limit of the amount of calories in each meal.

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/25/revealed-new-calorie-limits-every-common-food/

Quote:

Calorie limits will be imposed on thousands of foods sold in supermarkets and restaurants in a bid to combat obesity.

Draft proposals seen by The Telegraph set out detailed caps for ready meals, sandwiches and even portions of vegetables served across the country.

The plans, drawn up by Public Health England (PHE), suggest a limit of 544 calories for any convenience meal - far below many of those sold today

Sandwiches and main meal salads would be capped at 550 calories, with a limit of 951 calories for restaurant main courses, and varying limits for other specific foods depending on where they are consumed.

Attached is the front page of the Telegraph. The image shows the full story including proposed calorie limits for pizza and side dishes. The recommendations by Public Health England run to over 100 pages.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

What is to stop people eating two portions?

 

[Bletchleyite]

What is to stop people eating two portions?

And how’s it going to work for Subway, where it depends what you have them put on it?

 

[Jonny]

544 calories? That is barely a sandwich. Do they want to put people on starvation diets?

 

[Intermodal]

544 calories? That is barely a sandwich. Do they want to put people on starvation diets?

Found the lunchtime overeater!

 

[trainmania100]

I think something should be done about the salt on mcdnalds fries, I physically couldn't finish the fries last time so I've started having my big tasty without fries. Just couldn't taste anything but the salt. not too bother d about calories because I get a fair amount of exercise in my railway hobby. Had some lovely chunky fries with my KFC the other day, burger king is also a great choice for quality fries

 

[Intermodal]

I think something should be done about the salt on mcdnalds fries, I physically couldn't finish the fries last time so I've started having my big tasty without fries. Just couldn't taste anything but the salt. not too bother d about calories because I get a fair amount of exercise in my railway hobby. Had some lovely chunky fries with my KFC the other day, burger king is also a great choice for quality fries

You can ask for them no salt and they will do you a fresh batch and give you it before they salt them. A good way to guarantee fresh fries, too. It's something they offer for people with high blood pressure, or who just don't want salt.

I used to be a McDonald's manager. The procedure says that they should 'salt' the fries then mix all the salt in but of course a lot of minimum wage employees quite understandably can't be bothered with the 'mixing' step. If you are unlucky enough to get the first fry box out of a fresh batch which literally had the salt for 6 boxes poured over it and not mixed in it'll be very salty indeed.

When I worked there I used to eat McDonald's 5 days a week and I was not overweight, it's all about activity levels.

 

[baz962]

You can ask for them no salt and they will do you a fresh batch and give you it before they salt them. A good way to guarantee fresh fries, too. It's something they offer for people with high blood pressure, or who just don't want salt.

I used to be a McDonald's manager. The procedure says that they should 'salt' the fries then mix all the salt in but of course a lot of minimum wage employees quite understandably can't be bothered with the 'mixing' step. If you are unlucky enough to get the first fry box out of a fresh batch which literally had the salt for 6 boxes poured over it and not mixed in it'll be very salty indeed.

When I worked there I used to eat McDonald's 5 days a week and I was not overweight, it's all about activity levels.

Back in the mid nineties , I worked in a big leisure place with bars , clubs , cinema , bowling etc. My other half worked as a manager in the burger king in there. I worked five to seven day's s week and would get free burger king. On a weekday I would have one , but on a weekend while on a twelve hour shift I would devour four meals. I used to walk everywhere and train in the gym four to five times a week. Had a thirty inch waist , definitely about the activities.

 

[yorksrob]

A counterproductive policy by public health England. Making ready meals taste like cardboard will just push people to other sources of salt and sugar.

Plus what are they planning to do about restaurant meals which are typically full of unhealthy things.

 

[DarloRich]

But how will i be able to buy a Parmo after 12 pints of northern mens ale?

 

[Esker-pades]

The limit proposed is 544 calories. Given that the recommended average calorie intake for a man is 2500 calories per day, that means a person will have to eat 5 meals. Obviously, some will be offset by snacking, but for most people that will be an unhealthy snack. See the price of multipack of chocolate bars in a supermarket as compared to the same number of apples.

They seem to have missed the biggest thing about diet which is that it's about what one eats, not how much one eats. It also has to take into account how many calories a person burns in a day. I eat a lot, but I'm also underweight. I'm not the only one in the world who is like this.

This is before one gets into the mental health aspect of things. Will this legislation have unindended consequenes for those with an eating disorder or food anxiety? Quite possibly. It certainly won't do anything to help.

In order to tackle obesity, one has to make it easier to do the "right" things, not harder to do the "wrong" things. Make healthy stuff cheaper, encourage restaunrants and supermarkets to sell a balanced meal. A shovel load of chips and a bucket of chicken is not offset by a single piece of lettuce at the bottom of a burger, or example.

In conclusion, no.

 

[PeterY]

I'd hate the thought of having my calories controlled. For those that have met me, I'm still quite slim and I have never gone over 10 stone. I'm the same weight as when I left school and that was 46 years ago. I walk or cycle places, if I can. I do try to avoid high fat foods and foods that contain corn syrup (fructose) but I do enjoy the occasional KFC and burger king. I also avoid sugary drinks (empty calories) and don't have sugar in tea but eat loads of cakes and biscuits instead.
I always walk to the railway station (Hemel Hempstead) when traveling by train and it's 2 1/4 miles there and 2 1/4 miles back home.
So I burn all the calories I eat and I shall indulge in some Lindor chocolates this evening

 

[Bletchleyite]

Back in the mid nineties , I worked in a big leisure place with bars , clubs , cinema , bowling etc. My other half worked as a manager in the burger king in there. I worked five to seven day's s week and would get free burger king. On a weekday I would have one , but on a weekend while on a twelve hour shift I would devour four meals. I used to walk everywhere and train in the gym four to five times a week. Had a thirty inch waist , definitely about the activities.

I bet you weren't actually healthy though

Being a bit podgy is not the only marker of general health.

 

[Busaholic]

There is so little going on elsewhere for the government to get involved with, is there? Rome and fiddles.

 

[baz962]

I bet you weren't actually healthy though

Being a bit podgy is not the only marker of general health.

Possibly not , although both my blood pressure and cholesterol measured normal lol.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Possibly not , although both my blood pressure and cholesterol measured normal lol.

Quite lucky then There are plenty of people who are visibly skinny but in very poor health i.e. both of those being high and them being aerobically very unfit. It's more likely if they are fat, but while skinny people may *look* healthy they aren't necessarily (and while being fat is generally universally bad, fat people aren't necessarily *as* unhealthy as they might look - they may well just be fat and have normal blood pressure and cholesterol).

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Cut the price of real food and raise the price of junk food.

More bl*ody nanny state meddling...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Cut the price of real food and raise the price of junk food.

Real food isn't *that* expensive if (a) you learn to cook, and (b) you go vegetarian.

(note: I am not pushing an agenda, I am a committed carnivore! But meat is expensive, it'd be the first thing to go if I was tight on funds)

 

[Bertie the bus]

There is so little going on elsewhere for the government to get involved with, is there? Rome and fiddles.

Nanny needs to justify her (overinflated) salary.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Nanny needs to justify her (overinflated) salary.

Quite.

FWIW, I think requiring calorie counts to be displayed clearly is enough - it certainly makes me think. And banning bizarre "portion" sizes, e.g. nobody ever bought a 500ml bottle of Coke and drank half of it saying "that's one portion, that's enough" - a 500ml bottle is clearly one portion and needs marking accordingly. And most food that claims it serves 4 actually serves about 2 adults (or maybe at a push 2 adults and 2 small children under about 8).

In the end if they're forced to ban, say, footlong Subways, I'll just order 2 x 6" (and have the benefit of being able to enjoy two different flavours). There's no viable way that isn't ration books or similar to stop that.

 

[PeterY]

And most food that claims it serves 4 actually serves about 2 adults (or maybe at a push 2 adults and 2 small children under about 8).

I've brought pies, cheesecakes etc for example and the packaging says feeds 4 or 8 . Is that 4 or 8 mice

Now this is someone who'll eat a whole Fray Bentos pie steak and kidney pie on his own followed by a big tin of Ambrosia creamed (full fat) .

 

[Islineclear3_1]

No! leave us alone...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...told-leave-us-alone-backlash-against-calorie/

Cabinet minister has urged health officials to leave the public alone, in a backlash against planned calorie limits on restaurant and supermarket meals.

Liz Truss, chief secretary to the Treasury, expressed frustration after The Daily Telegraph revealed proposals to cap the maximum calories in thousands of common foods.

 

[Bayum]

I don’t see an issue, and would actually welcome such a move.

Unfortunately, there are still growing levels of obesity in the country in both the adult and child population. Showing calorie intakes for meals and traffic lighting food is not curbing the rise, so something else needs to be done.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

I don’t see an issue, and would actually welcome such a move.

Unfortunately, there are still growing levels of obesity in the country in both the adult and child population. Showing calorie intakes for meals and traffic lighting food is not curbing the rise, so something else needs to be done.

It's eroding free choice.

Many people, including the elderly rely on ready-meals. Reducing calorie content doesn't necessarily satisfy hunger so someone will only buy 2 x the product, especially if pressed for time (e.g. at work).

And remind me how many calories are in the average pint of beer...?

 

[Jonny]

It's more of the nanny state. People will just buy more items.

I've brought pies, cheesecakes etc for example and the packaging says feeds 4 or 8 . Is that 4 or 8 mice

Never mind four or eight mice, is that four or eight flies?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don’t see an issue, and would actually welcome such a move.

Unfortunately, there are still growing levels of obesity in the country in both the adult and child population. Showing calorie intakes for meals and traffic lighting food is not curbing the rise, so something else needs to be done.

Does it?

Who are you to tell me how much I should eat? If I wish to make myself unhealthy, it's my body and I will do so if I wish.

Making me informed as to what I'm doing is a good idea so I'm not doing it unwittingly. At a push, the NHS could save money by declining to offer treatment directly relating to obesity unless the patient could prove a change of lifestyle, with help from a dietitian if necessary.

Beyond that, frankly both you and the Government could get lost in this regard. You decide what you eat, it's none of my business. I decide what I eat, it's none of yours.

Feeding kids rubbish and not allowing them to exercise could validly be seen as abuse, but what an adult does affecting their own body is nobody's business but theirs provided it is done knowingly.

 

[AM9]

It's eroding free choice. ...

But doing nothing is eroding the provision of an effective health service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

But doing nothing is eroding the provision of an effective health service.

Then simply whack a tax (like the "sugar tax") onto "problem" foods to cover the cost (no more, no less), increase NHS funding by that taxation amount, and stop worrying about it.

 

[AM9]

Then simply whack a tax (like the "sugar tax") onto "problem" foods to cover the cost (no more, no less), increase NHS funding by that taxation amount, and stop worrying about it.

That would be just kicking the problem down the road. Any tax would need to be punitive. Any levy would need to be punitive in order to overcome whatever the predatory fast-food industry did next to undermine the measures.

 

[Bayum]

Does it?

Who are you to tell me how much I should eat? If I wish to make myself unhealthy, it's my body and I will do so if I wish.

Making me informed as to what I'm doing is a good idea so I'm not doing it unwittingly. At a push, the NHS could save money by declining to offer treatment directly relating to obesity unless the patient could prove a change of lifestyle, with help from a dietitian if necessary.

Beyond that, frankly both you and the Government could get lost in this regard. You decide what you eat, it's none of my business. I decide what I eat, it's none of yours.

Feeding kids rubbish and not allowing them to exercise could validly be seen as abuse, but what an adult does affecting their own body is nobody's business but theirs provided it is done knowingly.

The NHS ‘could’ spend money on aiming to reverse obesity, but by that time a lot of damage has already been done. Yes, people might be unhappy that meals have x amount of calories in, but you’ve also got sodium content, you’ve got high levels of carbohydrates also. Unfortunately, it is this exact issue of, “You can’t tell me what to do/not do/eat/not eat,” that is helping to continue this upward trend in the number of people being diagnosed with type two diabetes, needing joint replacements and other treatments for obesity-related diseases.