Council set to adopt new policy to help reduce obesity

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Members of the Corporate Policy Committee have agreed to adopt a 'healthier food and drink advertising policy' as part of efforts to reduce obesity levels across the borough.

This will require advertisers to swap references to or illustrations of unhealthy food and alcoholic drinks on the Council's land, buildings or vehicles, for their healthier options.

Cllr Mark Goldsmith said "I just want a bit of clarification. In Wilmslow a couple of the roundabouts are sponsored by an Italian restaurant. All it is is the name of the restaurant on there but I am just wondering if this would stop them from advertising because they sell pizza as well as other things. So I am just trying to understand how nuanced this policy would be."

Guy Kilminster, corporate manager health improvement, responded "If they were showing a picture of the pizza, it would be just to ensure they have a couple of slices of pizza rather than whole pizza. The approach is a very pragmatic one."

Cllr Janet Clowes said: "Absolutely approve in principle. Have we got any evidence of other areas that have done this successfully because how would you actually measure it in Cheshire East. It's very difficult to measure what are effectively public health prevention initiatives."

Adding "I'm just not convinced that the changes would make that much difference I have to be honest.

"What is the buy-in from these outlets and what sort of feedback have we had from them? Because we are looking at an ICS wide initiative here it is going to therefore involve quite a lot of financing over an area that size.

"I would want just a little bit more evidence that actually this works and I haven't really be reassured by the papers I have seen today."

Guy Kilminster replied "The evidence from the areas where this has been done for a while now is that there is an impact in terms of the amount of advertising of high fat foods, or things that have high levels of salt or sugar, in the positive sense that advertisers shift to advertising their healthier options.

"In terms of the impact on public health and the levels of obesity and overweight as you said that is much harder to measure and on its own this will make no difference to that. What this is is part of a wider suite of measures to try and reduce the levels of obesity and overweight."

Adding "It's not on it's own a solution, it is part of it."

Cllr Mark Goldsmith commented "I support this in principle but I also think it's a bit of a solution without a problem for Cheshire East as we have so few advertising sites that we put out to. So I don't think it will have an impact on overall health at all but I do support it because I think it is the right thing to be doing and in future we have more advertising."

Members of the Corporate Policy Committee voted by 12 voted to 1 to approve the adoption of the draft Healthier Advertising Policy and agreed to delegate to the responsibility for rolling it out across the Council to the Director of Public Health.

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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Julian Barlow
Thursday 10th October 2024 at 5:52 am
We’re on the cusp of bankruptcy, we’ve closed three tips, the roads are full of holes and we’re generally despised by the people that keep us afloat. So, item one on the agenda: Pizza slices.
Simon Worthington
Thursday 10th October 2024 at 4:04 pm
This is not what the money scalped from me is for. Do the jobs we expect you to do!
Pizza! Unhealthy. Dough (bread) covered with vegetables and a scattering of meat, toxic vegetable oils aside quite healthy. Likewise a lamb kebab. Pitta, salad and meat!!! Target the rubbish on supermarket shelves full of sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm oil and additives with unpronounceable names!! And fried chicken but maybe that is “culturally” safe from criticism!!
Any one heard from “Dr.” Matt recently. Maybe shirking from home.
Alan Brough
Thursday 10th October 2024 at 7:52 pm
@Julian Barlow

Hit nail on head!
Helen Hayes
Friday 11th October 2024 at 5:03 am
It’s why fly tipping is such a problem!
Ian Hughes
Thursday 7th November 2024 at 3:31 pm
I’m curious to know what an ICS wide initiative in normal English.