Eating Away at Productivity

By recognising the importance of the food system in fuelling disease and its unlocked power to improve our population’s health, the government will be able to kick start progress towards many of its ambitions on health and the economy.

Our latest report, using the 2021 Global Burden of Disease data, shows that implementing four dietary shifts recommended as part of the National Food Strategy - a 30% increase in fruit and vegetables, 50% increase in fibre, a 25% reduction in high fat sugar and/or salt (HFSS) foods and 30% reduction in meat - could save approximately 6,000 lives every year and reduce the total years living with disability by 28,857.

However, failure to act in a decisive way on food and health in this parliamentary term risks worsening outcomes, a stagnated economy, and further pressure on the NHS.