British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will launch a £ 10 million anti-obesity campaign, which includes junk food advertising bans, following his own brush with death, which he partly attributed to his weight.
Johnson will announce his “Better Health” campaign on Monday, which is expected to include encouraging doctors to issue “cycling prescriptions” for overweight patients, more segregated bike lanes and a ban on junk food television commercials before 9:00 pm, according to British media reports. .
“COVID-19 has given us all a wake up call to the immediate and long-term risks of being overweight, and the Prime Minister is clear that we must take advantage of this moment to be healthier, more active and eat better,” said one government. spokesman on Sunday.
“We will urge the public to use this moment to take stock of how they live their lives and take simple steps to lose weight, live healthier lives, and reduce pressure on the NHS.”
Restaurants will also have to publish the number of calories in the meals they serve, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Johnson, who has fought his own battles to control his weight, required intensive care treatment in April after contracting the virus.
The plan, which The Guardian estimated would cost £ 10 million ($ 12.8 million, € 11 million), marks a U-turn by the prime minister, who has long criticized the interventionist “nanny state”.
A Public Health England (PHE) study published Saturday found that obesity increased the risk of death from coronavirus by 40 percent.
