Wanted: politicians to champion health (not obesity)

Because of the complex aetiology of modern obesity patterns, isolated therapeutic or public health measures will not solve the obesity problem. Consumers must be made aware of the ways in which the food industry influences their food purchases. Government needs to prioritise health ahead of industrial productivity and increased consumption. An obesity intervention wish list is presented as a suggested reform package: > prohibit all forms of marketing of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods; introduce measures such as kilojoule caps, prohibition of bundling, and greater uniformity in packaging design to make energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods less enticing and less amenable to bulk purchase; redesign supermarkets to promote fresh rather than energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods; cease provision of government subsidies to food processing industries; tax energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods to create a disincentive to purchasing of these foods; and regulate the location and number of fast-food outlets by enacting urban planning laws.