The influential policy advisers behind the government’s delayed plans for a system of mandatory health reporting and targets have accused ministers of “sleepwalking” into an obesity disaster.
Nesta, the nudge body whose proposed system of mandatory reporting for food companies was used as the basis for the government’s “world first” healthy food standard proposals, said a “lack of political leadership” had allowed the policy to drift. The government risked throwing away the biggest chance of tackling soaring rates of obesity, it said.
The body’s criticism comes after a report by the cross-party Health and Social Care Committee last week warned the govenment’s “moonshot to end obesity” was “doomed to fail” unless Andy Burnham took personal charge of the strategy. It warned it had “no faith” in ministers to deliver the promised 10 Year Health Plan, launched in July 2025 under Wes Streeting.
The government based its plans on a system of reporting and targets devised by Nesta, whose research claims that introducing mandatory health reporting and sales targets for large food retailers could reduce adult and childhood obesity prevalence by more than 20% in the UK.
Lauren Bowes Byatt, director of healthy life at Nesta, launched a stinging attack on the government’s failure to follow through with its plans, which where confirmed in December and supposed to have been taken forward with an industry-wide consultation in the spring.
“Where is the political leadership on this?” said Bowes Byatt, a former Cabinet Office adviser who was one of the key figures in the government’s response to Covid and other national emergencies.
She added: “If we keep relying on piecemeal policies, we will sleepwalk into a future of poorer health and soaring NHS costs.
“In the last 30 years there been over 700 obesity policies. At the same time we’ve seen obesity rates double.
“A 10-year health plan was supposed to welcome in a new era of action on obesity with restrictions like the junk food advertising ban, reform to the sugary drinks levy and and most importantly a world first policy, the healthy food standard, which would introduce mandatory reporting and targets to encourage healthier sales.
“It’s been 464 days since the policy was announced and we’re nowhere near it being implemented.”
As well as NGOs, food industry bosses have also publicly criticised delays to the plans, along with leading food companies, including Tesco, which has claimed mandatory reporting on health is one of the most important policies needed to tackle the challenges facing the UK’s food system.
Bowes Byatt said the government had no chance of achieving its goals to end the obesity epidemic within a decade unless it revived the plans, but warned there was a “limited window” of time left to do so.
“Whatever way you cut it, there is no way to achieve the moonshot without high-impact policies.
“Of the measures in the 10 Year Health Plan there is only one that gets you anywhere near close and that is the healthy food standard.”
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