Following his dice with death, Boris Johnson has launched a “war on obesity”, unleashing a series of new measures – an end to unhealthy multi-buy deals, putting junk food ads after the watershed, rolling out calorie labels on chain meals and alcoholic drinks – with a convert’s zeal. But, like all of its predecessors, Johnson’s war is doomed to fail. Time and time again, these drives toward weight loss promise more than they can deliver, and harm more than they help. After years of officious, mindless austerity, redoubled by the challenges of Covid-19, it would seem harder to be healthier in Johnson’s Britain than under any other postwar prime minister. Moving junk food ads after the watershed is shutting the stable door when the horse has bolted.

Source: The Guardian August 03, 2020 06:56 UTC