‘Stand up to food industry’ after decades of failure to address diet-related ill-health, MPs tell government

The Health and Social Care Committee today calls for a new, bold approach to tackle England’s decades-long problem of diet-related ill health that is costing the country tens of billions a year. The report urges the government to break the cycle of constantly putting the commercial interests of the food and drink industry over children’s health.

The Obesity Health Alliance, alongside a number of our members, were invited to give evidence at the oral evidence sessions which took place from November 2025-January 2026, following an extensive written submission to the inquiry earlier in 2025.

The cross-party Committee concluded that, time and again, policies designed to improve children’s health and reduce obesity rates have been delayed or weakened in response to pressure from the food and drink industry.

Some of the key recommendations include:

Launching mandatory reporting as part of the Healthy Food Standards as soon as possible – and setting targets for supermarkets within the next 12 months, which are accompanied by a strict enforcement regime.
Support for implementing the 2018 Nutrient Profile Model by no later than the end of 2027 and committing to regularly reviewing to ensure it reflects evolving scientific advice.
Strengthening the legislation on less healthy advertising by removing the brand advertising exemption as soon as possible; extending to outdoor advertising and launching a consultation on widening the regulations to sports sponsorship and advertising on social media, mobile phone app notifications and online gaming.
Strengthening placement and price promotions regulations by January 2027, to include requirements to place fruits and vegetables at prominent locations and extend the definition of a prominent location on a website to include ‘special offers’ pages.
Work with OHID and directors of public health to strengthen local powers to restrict the proliferation of “fast food outlets” and “hot food takeaways”, including clearer definitions, review class uses and mandate the involvement of public health officials in the development of local planning policies.
Drive further reformulation by exploring how the Soft Drinks Industry Levy can be expanded and develop a programme to roll out reformulation to small and medium sized food and drink manufacturers, similar to that in Scotland.
Improvements to the enforcement of policies to ensure existing and upcoming regulations are implemented effectively, including improved funding and training for local enforcement officers, and stronger penalties.
Supporting the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee recommendation that the government should exclude food businesses that derive more than a certain proportion of sales from less healthy products from any discussions on the formation of policy on food, diet and obesity prevention.
And many, many more.

Read the full report and recommendations here

In addition to this report, the inquiry will also be publishing their recommendations following the weight management sessions which took place earlier this year.

Katharine Jenner, Executive Director of the Obesity Health Alliance and who gave evidence at the inquiry, said:

“This report is a timely reminder that the evidence on obesity prevention has been clear for years. The Committee’s recommendations are firmly grounded in public health evidence and reflect the bold, joined‑up action that the Obesity Health Alliance and others have long called for, to create a healthier food environment as part of the 10 Year Health Plan for England.

“The Government already has many of these policies on the table – mandatory health reporting and targets for large food businesses, stronger restrictions on the advertising and promotion of less healthy food, and an updated Nutrient Profiling Model. Yet too often, measures designed to protect children’s health have been delayed or diluted after sustained pressure from industry.

“If we are serious about improving the nation’s health, reducing pressure on the NHS and giving every child the best start in life, we must tackle the root causes by making healthier choices easier and more affordable for everyone. This is the moment for the Government to break the ‘junk food cycle’ of inaction and deliver the healthier future families deserve.”

Dr Kawther Hashem, Senior Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition and Head of Research and Impact at Action on Salt & Sugar based at Queen Mary University of London says:

“We are delighted to have contributed evidence to this inquiry, and it is encouraging to see several of our key recommendations reflected in the Committee’s report, including bringing in mandatory reporting and targets, stronger advertising restrictions, mandatory front-of-pack colour-coded nutrition labelling and a clear role for the Food Standards Agency in overseeing and enforcing business compliance.

“For far too long, the odds have been stacked against families, with foods high in fat, salt and sugar often cheaper, more heavily promoted and easier to access than healthier choices, contributing to obesity and other preventable diet-related diseases. The Committee is therefore right to call on Ministers to stand up to vested commercial interests and put public health first.

“However, important opportunities have been missed. The report does not go far enough on extending the successful SDIL levy model to key food categories high in fat, salt and sugar, strengthening promotion restrictions across the whole market to apply to all unhealthy food and drink, or making commercial baby food standards mandatory.

“Voluntary approaches have repeatedly failed to deliver change at the scale and pace needed. Ministers must now build on the strongest recommendations in this report, to close the remaining gaps and introduce bold, evidence-based regulation that creates a level playing field across the food industry and protects the health of children and families.”

Michael Baber, Director of Health Action Research Group says:

“Life expectancy has stalled in the UK, and healthy life expectancy is falling. That’s bad news for the millions affected, and piles ever-more pressure on the NHS. It’s time for the government to take the prevention of ill-health seriously, including tackling the obesogenic environment children are growing up in, with all the adverse knock-on effects for their long-term physical and mental health.”

“The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee’s report is an excellent starting point. It recognises the harm done to the nation’s health by successive governments not standing up to the food industry – and makes practical, evidence-based recommendations to encourage healthier diets, address the obesogenic environment and prioritise health in food policy. We hope the new government will give priority to implementing its recommendations.”

Caroline Cerny, Deputy CEO of Action on Smoking on Health, speaking on behalf of Action on Smoking and Health, the Alcohol Health Alliance and the Obesity Health Alliance said:

“We welcome the Health and Social Care Committee’s recognition that the Government must put public health ahead of commercial interests if it is serious about preventing ill health. The Committee is right to highlight how industry lobbying has repeatedly delayed and weakened policies designed to protect people’s health.

“The Government should learn from its approach to tobacco. Where commercial interests conflict with public health, policy must be guided by independent evidence, not by the industries whose profits depend on harmful products. Applying this principle consistently will help deliver the bold action we urgently need to improve the nation’s health.”

Lauren Bowes Byatt, director in the healthy life mission at Nesta, said:

“The UK government outlined a world-leading approach to tackling obesity last year, but it is now running out of time to stick the landing on these health targets for food businesses.

“The Committee’s report confirms that decades of voluntary approaches have failed to check the obesity crisis. Nor are the effective but expensive GLP-1 weight loss medications by themselves going to be enough to break the cycle across the country. It is time for the government to stay the course, resist any industry lobbying to delay this and mandate the changes needed to fix a food system.

“To ensure its healthy food standard policy remains on track for full implementation within this Parliament, ministers should introduce the consultation on mandatory reporting in the narrowing window we have before the summer recess, followed by a consultation on the targets themselves in 2027.”

Dame Anna Taylor, Executive Director of the Food Foundation, said:

“This report contains a wealth of i...

‘Stand up to food industry’ after decades of failure to address diet-related ill-health, MPs tell government

Katharine Jenner, Executive Director of the Obesity Health Alliance and who gave evidence at the inquiry, said:

Dr Kawther Hashem, Senior Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition and Head of Research and Impact at Action on Salt & Sugar based at Queen Mary University of London says:

Michael Baber, Director of Health Action Research Group says:

Caroline Cerny, Deputy CEO of Action on Smoking on Health, speaking on behalf of Action on Smoking and Health, the Alcohol Health Alliance and the Obesity Health Alliance said:

Lauren Bowes Byatt, director in the healthy life mission at Nesta, said:

Dame Anna Taylor, Executive Director of the Food Foundation, said:

Obesity Health Alliance

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