Food Restrictions Needed To Fight Obesity

A new research showed that 'food supply' is the main reason why obesity is becoming increasingly an "urgent crisis." Now, the researchers are urging for a restriction on the availability of food supplies, from ingredients, food marketing and prices to fight expanding waistline problem.

On Wednesday, the researchers of University of Auckland published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization their examination where they found out that increasing supply of food that are high in energy extremely contributes to the problem of obesity amongst 69 countries since 1970.

The study showed that in more than half the countries, oversupply of food with high calories are the major caused of obesity and being overweight. Which contradicts the people's notion that lack of exercise is the biggest driver of high obesity rates.

Stefanie Vandevijvere, from the school of population health at Auckland University, said, "Our study shows that oversupply of calories is a likely driver of overconsumption of those calories, and can readily explain the weight gain seen in most countries."

She also added that the Government's teaching about physical activity to fight this "epidemic" is not working. And the availability of unhealthy food like junk food is getting higher.

"The current environment we live in makes it so much easier for people to make unhealthy choices than healthy choices."

The study urges to tax sugary food, restrictions on unhealthy food marketing and healthy food requirements for schools.

In a statement released on Wednesday, by the Health Minister Jonathan Coleman, there is no other solution to solve the epidemic. The Government's steps to solve the problem include urging schools to include fruits in their serving and creating programs that encourages healthy lifestyles.

Officials also admitted that there are no additional measures to solve the increasing problem yet. And no decision as to how to go about the necessary steps to implement the restrictions has been released yet.  

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