There was a lot to chew on in the party manifestos on health and the NHS, with promises to cut waiting lists, modernise hospitals and create more GP and dentist appointments. But plans around prevention were in short supply on these political menus - as were proposals about how to help us stay healthier. With a developing obesity and diabetes crisis, as well as increasing numbers of children needing emergency treatment because of rotting teeth, some experts say keeping people out of hospital is just as important as caring for them once they get ill.
A recent report from the Health Foundation think tank concluded that "the nation’s health is fraying, placing a growing burden on public services and limiting future prosperity. Much of this ill-health could be prevented." Tackling sugar consumption would be a vital part of any drive to improve the population’s health, but the word "sugar" only appears twice in total in the manifestos of the five main parties in England.
That's surprising given that policies to curb sugar consumption and regulate unhealthy food products have been debated very publicly for nearly a decade. In 2015, chef Jamie Oliver started his own campaign for a sugar tax, after filming a six-year-old-boy having rotten teeth pulled out under general anaesthetic for a TV documentary. The government did introduce a tax on high-sugar soft drinks in 2018.
Manufacturers anxious to avoid paying it cut sugar levels in their products so that they fell below the levy t.
