UK tells people: eat less to reduce COVID-19 death risk

British people should eat less to lose weight as being obese increases the risk of dying from the novel coronavirus, junior health minister Helen Whately said on Monday.

Whately said that those with a body mass index of over 40 had double the risk of dying from COVID-19.

The UK also imposed strict new limits on junk food advertising as ministers seek to control the country’s growing obesity problem.

Advertising of foods high in fat, sugar or salt on television and online before 9pm will be banned, the country’s health and social care department said Monday.

Large restaurants will be required to include calorie counts on menus, and junk food adverts will be banned before 9pm, as Boris Johnson launches a major drive against obesity in preparation for a potential second wave of Covid-19.

The interventionist action from the prime minister, who has previously railed against what he described as the “nanny state”, follows a stark warning from Public Health England (PHE) that overweight people are at higher risk of hospitalisation and death if they contract the coronavirus.

Among a range of measures to tackle obesity, the government will also bring in legislation to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat and sugar, including ‘buy one, get one free’ deals, and ban shops from presenting unhealthy items in prominent locations such as checkouts and store entrances.

Ref: Reuters, hindustantimes, The independent