Action is needed to tackle UK’s “astonishing” abundance of food, MPs are told

People are exposed to an “astonishing” amount of easily accessible and available food in the United Kingdom that is helping to raise obesity levels, experts have told MPs.

The sheer scale of the availability, accessibility, and affordability of food was an issue that the government was not tackling, MPs on the parliamentary health committee were told during an evidence session on 3 February for its inquiry into the health effects of physical activity and diet. MPs asked what the most effective measures should be for politicians to tackle obesity and to encourage physical activity.

Susan Jebb, professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford, giving evidence, said, “Where I think we are absolutely not taking any action at the moment, and which is crucial, …