London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 27, 2025

Fighting post-lockdown weight gain? UK plans unhealthy food and drink restrictions to beat obesity as part of battle against Covid

Fighting post-lockdown weight gain? UK plans unhealthy food and drink restrictions to beat obesity as part of battle against Covid

The UK government plans to prohibit supermarkets from displaying unhealthy snacks and drinks at checkout areas, entrances, and at the end of aisles, in an effort to combat obesity.

The UK government plans to prohibit supermarkets from displaying unhealthy snacks and drinks at checkout areas, entrances, and at the end of aisles, in an effort to combat obesity.

The new rules – planned for rollout in early 2022 – will also ban unhealthy special offers, restaurant soda free refills, and promotions for unhealthy foods and drinks on website homepages and checkout pages.

Stores that are small in both employee number and physical size will be exempt from some of the rules, as well as specialist niche stores that cater to products like chocolate or drinks.Downing Street's plan could impact a wide range of establishments in the UK, from supermarket giants like Tesco and websites like Amazon, to casual dining chains like Nandos – which offers a free refill soda package – and small newsagents.

Though some social media users praised the plan as a good idea, and a "win for public health" that should also be implemented in the United States, others condemned it as just the latest example of government control.

"They want to control everything we do," one user complained.

Some argued that removing unhealthy snacks and drinks from checkouts would do little to combat obesity as the real issue was a "lack of access to affordable exercise" as well as a lack of knowledge of and access to healthy eating.


"If you want to tackle unhealthy lifestyles you need to be serious about reducing inequality and social deprivation," one user noted.

In the summer, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a £10-million (about $13.5 million) anti-obesity campaign as part of the government's fight against Covid-19.

An unnamed government official told the Guardian at the time that coronavirus-related lockdowns "have seen some people get fitter but a lot more people eat more than usual while they've been at home."

Covid-19 is reportedly more deadly in the obese, and obesity is considered by scientists to be a "major risk factor."

According to NHS data, 67 percent of men and 60 percent of women in the UK are either overweight or obese, while children are twice as likely to be obese if they live in "deprived areas."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
×