The Guardian’s Post

A startling 66% of daily calories consumed by UK adolescents come from ultra-processed foods, illustrating a dire need for targeted public health strategies to address this issue, particularly among those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, Northern England, and White ethnicity. Reflecting on my own teenage years, I vividly recall the allure of fast foods and packaged snacks. A quick fix for hunger, yes, but not the best choice for health. It's troubling yet unsurprising that today's adolescents are still caught in this unhealthy food consumption cycle, influenced heavily by socioeconomic factors and targeted marketing. 🌍📊 Did you know that adolescents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are consuming a higher percentage of these quick, yet unhealthy options? This not only poses a significant risk for chronic diseases but also accentuates the health inequities within our communities. We urgently need to reimagine our approach to food education and accessibility. 🍏 How can we make healthier food options appealing and accessible to all segments of the population, especially our youth? Let's discuss strategies and share insights. It's crucial that we come together to promote dietary changes and prevent health disparities from widening.👇 #PublicHealth #Nutrition #AdolescentHealth #DietaryIntervention #SocioeconomicStatus #FoodEducation

UK adolescents consume 66% ultra-processed food (UPF), new study reveals! Find out why👇 This public health issue affects the whole adolescent population, independently of their social-economic background! Some adolescents (Bite Back Youth activists) were invited into the UK House of Lords sessions on "Food, Diet and obesity" last May to share evidence on the food environment they live in... which explains a lot: 👉 Their context: "𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘵." 👉 One their proposals [on energy drinks] "𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱, 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺?" Even those who strive for a healthy diet are not given half a chance in the "𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦" food system of today. 🔗 Article on the adolescent diet study: https://lnkd.in/ePJurs9F... 🔗 Transcript of the House of Lords - session with Bite Back oral evidence: https://lnkd.in/eFYmVcQQ #ultraprocessedfood #upf #biteback #healthylifestyle #childrenshealth

Adults start to talk about their lives with Phenylketonuria. About their struggles to cope with dietary restrictions. About their problems with the social and economic aspects of the condition. How they feel when their PHE levels are high. How they feel when their PHE levels go down or are too low. Adults with Phenylketonuria express concern about their future and how PKU will affect their functioning in later life. This is why we need more research on adults with PKU to show the situation of adults and be able to answer the questions that bother them. #PKUDAY2024 #adultPKUawareness

🌍By 2035, 1.52 billion people will be living with #obesity, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2024. Despite common beliefs, obesity is not solely a product of individual choices but a complex condition influenced by an array of factors including our surrounding food environment. 🔍A recent systematic review underscores this point, revealing that proximity to fast-food outlets correlates with higher obesity rates, whereas access to supermarkets with fresh fruits and vegetables is linked to lower levels. The challenge is clear, but so is the opportunity! 🔗Click here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/d97SUtHk #healthforall

Obesity is becoming a growing concern in low- and middle-income countries. In Africa alone, the number of overweight children under five has risen by almost 23% since 2000 (WHO) WHO guidelines recommend that no sugars or sweetening agents should be used in food for children under the age of three. There is a risk that they will become addicted to sugary foods, which will impact their health from an early age. While the world is grappling with increasing Obesity rates and Non-communicable diseases, Nestle is indeed focused on creating a "bliss point" in their products to find the perfect balance of flavors and ingredients that make their products irresistibly addictive. Awareness is key! 🍫🤔 #HealthFirst #InformedChoices#ObesityAwareness #HealthierLifestyles 💪🌎 #ChildHealth #WHOGuidelines #FightObesity #EqualStandards

Obesity in America is now over 40%. This makes me so sad and angry at the same time! I'm sad that 40% of our population, both young and old, cannot experience movement in their lives due to physical constraints. They are trapped in their bodies, sitting on the sidelines watching others experience joys they cannot. I'm angry that our food supply is so terrible that it is contributing to this epidemic. I'm angry that inexpensive food options equal unhealthy options. I'm angry that our government does not care about this at all and instead seem to be contributing to the problem! I'm concerned that nutrition is not part of our education system. This would be so simple to implement and create an incredibly significant impact. What can we do as a collective to help fix this problem??? #inhealthandhope #obesity #betteroptions #foodsupply #foodsupplychain #supplements #movement #howcanwehelp #naturalfood #diabetes #diabetesawareness #sugar #bloodsugar #obesityinamerica #movement #keepmoving #livewithoutpain

A report from The Food Foundation exposed a diet-related health crisis among British children. Compounded by poverty levels, junk food, and rising cost of living, UK youth are facing a generational decline. • Obesity increased by one-third in 10–11-year-olds since 2006, with most teens carrying excess weight into adulthood. • Over five years, type 2 diabetes rates rose 22% in those under 25, with related amputations climbing 19%. • Indicative of malnutrition, the height of five-year-olds has fallen YoY since 2013, with underprivileged 10–11s measuring 1.3cm shorter than wealthier counterparts. Taking action, the report’s authors advocate for making healthy food more affordable, reducing junk food advertising and providing free school meals.

My article in today's The Free Press Journal : Here's the story of SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action) that for the last 25 years, has been empowering women, children and adolescents of Dharavi to improve their lives. It's remarkable that they even managed to bring down malnutrition substantially. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/dVWCkSna

Team members from #4PCAN unveil the critical link between national taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages (#SSBs) and its impact on health, particularly obesity and diabetes rates. 🔍 The study underscores the complexity of SSB taxation and its effectiveness, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches to address the rising rates of overweight and obesity globally. ➡️Impactful Results: Discover how select countries, including Brazil, Samoa, Palau, and more, witness a reduction in overweight and obesity rates among children and adolescents following taxation implementation. Read more below or head over to Science Direct: https://lnkd.in/ggbwPj36 Stefania Boccia #PublicHealth #SSBTaxation #ObesityPrevention #DiabetesAwareness #ResearchInsights

2024 could be a landmark year in the fight against obesity. The science is clearer than ever on how junk food affects our biology, and new drugs are emerging to help. Governments are waking up to the enormous costs obesity imposes on life chances, healthcare systems, and productivity. Initiatives across Europe and America are examples of how we can effectively address this crisis. These efforts not only tackle the issue head-on but might also be self-sustaining. #ObesityAwareness #HealthInitiatives #PublicHealth #FightObesity #ObesityMatters 💪 https://ow.ly/nEYo50QovHk