National Diet & Nutrition Survey released
While Rachel Reeves was delivering her spending review, The National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which coveres the nation's eating habits from 2019 to 2023 was released.
On first inspection the diet and nutrition recommendations seem positive although it still does not differentiate between red and processed meat - an ongoing problem which we'll be calling out. We also note that the government recommends that people who eat more than 90g of red or processed meat a day should cut down to 70g. Encouragingly, average consumption in all age and gender groups was below 70g during the survey period. However, this average suggests some over- and some under-consumption.
More worrying is that consumption of vegetables and fruit is declining. Most participants did not meet the UK government recommendation of 5 a day, with only 17% reaching that target. Disappointingly there is also no reference to Ultra Processed Foods despite alarming obesity rates (32% in women and 29% in men) and overweight and obese combined even more so (74% in men and 63% in women).