The Scottish Government has confirmed that it is putting a halt to or delaying key initiatives designed to tackle the rising levels of obesity. According to Public Health Minister Jenni Minto, the government has decided not to pursue the proposed ban on the sale of energy drinks to individuals under the age of 16.
The implementation of calorie information on menus has been temporarily suspended, and the previously proposed bill to restrict promotions on unhealthy food and drinks has been abandoned in favor of less comprehensive regulations. Instead, the government plans to consult on more limited regulations later this year.
Minto said, “Rather than introduce the Public Health (Restriction of Promotions) Bill, I instead plan to consult on the detail of proposed regulations this autumn.
“This includes proposals to restrict the promotion of less healthy food and drinks in prominent locations in store, for example at the end of aisles and beside checkouts.
“We also propose to target certain price promotions which encourage people to buy more than they actually need, for example multibuys and unlimited refills.”
The government initially proposed all three measures in its 2018 diet and healthy weight delivery plan for consideration.
Consultations were conducted between 2019 and 2022 to gather input and feedback on the proposed measures.
The minister clarified that after conducting the consultation on energy drinks, the government found insufficient evidence to justify the introduction of a ban on sales to children. Consequently, the government’s stance will be to “continue supporting” voluntary measures rather than enforce a regulatory ban.
Regarding the inclusion of calorie counts on menus, the government has decided to pause the implementation of this measure. This is to allow for a thorough analysis of its potential impact on individuals with eating disorders. Public Health Scotland is currently conducting the necessary research, and the findings are expected to be published in October.
Furthermore, the government has announced plans to advance an additional consultation on promotion restrictions, scheduled to take place in the autumn. This consultation will seek input and feedback on potential limitations on promotions related to unhealthy food and beverages.
Scottish Tory health spokesman, Sandesh Gulhane, voiced his criticism towards the government, accusing them of inadequate efforts in combating obesity.
He said, “This statement does little to actually address the obesity epidemic sweeping across Scotland. The minister’s statement amounts to: 1) energy drinks – we won’t do this; 2) mandating calorie labelling – we’re not sure; 3) restrictions of promotions – let’s do some more thinking.”
Labour’s Carol Mochan said the announcement “shows little to no progress”.
She added, “The minister should be here to explain why the SNP Scottish Government has made so little progress in this area since the [diet and healthy weight delivery] plan was established five years ago.”
