Memorandum by Atkins Nutritionals (WP
25)
ATKINS NUTRITIONALS
Atkins Nutritionals are the creators of the
Atkins Nutritional Approach (ANA), a carbohydrate controlled lifestyle
proven to reduce weight and maintain a healthy weight over an
entire lifetime. The ANA focuses on the consumption of nutrient
dense, unprocessed foods, vitanutrient supplementation and exercise.
Atkins very much welcomes this opportunity to contribute to the
ongoing dialogue over public health and is pleased to submit this
written evidence to the Committee.
SUMMARY
Atkins welcomes much of what is in the Choosing
Health White Paper and looks forward to working with those involved
in its implementation. With particular reference to obesity it
is vital that prevention is emphasised in equal measure to cure
and this means finding solutions that are broad ranging in scope
and varied in their target audiences. The work being conducted
by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on Obesity is
targeted at the clinical setting, yet the role of prevention is
just as important and warrants just as much investment. Working
in conjunction with industry and harnessing its resources the
Government must look at dissipating information to people from
all backgrounds that is right for them and in its implementation
of the White Paper the Government must build in measurable means
of being judged and scrutinised.
The following looks at four specific issues
and offers recommendations for the Committee to consider.
1. Food labelling
Atkins recognises that food labelling needs
to be both accurate and clear to ensure that the consumer is quickly
able to ascertain the nutritional quality of the products which
they are purchasing. The consultation by the Food Standards Agency
on this issue is to be welcomed and Atkins looks forward to being
part of that process. What is vital however is ensuring that consumers
are not misled and Atkins are concerned that by focusing solely
on fat, salt and sugar the benefits of a controlled carbohydrate
diet will be overlooked.
Recommendation
A simple traffic light system may oversimplify
the food labelling process. Instead food labelling should take
the form of making clear whether a product is high, medium or
low in fat, salt, sugar and carbohydrate which will ensure that
those following low fat and low carbohydrate programmes are able
to make a clear judgement.
2. Dietary advice
Clearly for those who are not overweight or
obese strategies such as the "5 A Day" campaign are
sensible and laudable policies and should be seen as a key part
of the solution. However for those who are already overweight
or obese this will not in itself equip people with the tools to
reduce and then manage their weight. One such weight management
tool is the ANA, however there are other programmes which can
bring weight down, and Atkins would like to see the Government
do more to offer a range of advice suitable for different types
of individuals. The seeds for this are evident in Choosing Health
however the enactment of this process must be made to work.
Recommendation
The Weight Loss Guide, referred to on page 142,
must move beyond advice that takes the form of preventing people
becoming overweight or obese and instead take on a dual role that
addresses prevention and also tackles weight reduction. Arming
people with the tools to reduce their weight and manage it over
the long term is vital if the Government is to meet its ambitious
obesity targets.
3. The role of weight loss programmes
As discussed above proven dietary regimes must
be seen as part of the solution to the obesity epidemic. The Health
Select Committee noted in its own report on the subject in 2004
that commercial weight loss organisations have a role to play
in tackling this crisis. However regulation currently going through
the European legislative process in the form of the Nutrition
and Health Claims Made on Foods proposal would outlaw any form
of weight loss claims and make redundant any programmes and products
aimed at reducing an individual's weight. Atkins is concerned
that this will disarm many of accurate advice about weight loss
and instead expose consumers to misinformation and dangerous products
from outside the Community that will be seen as the answer.
Recommendation
The UK government through the Food Standards
Agency must work hard during Council negotiations to ensure that
this disproportionate and potentially harmful ban on all weight
loss claims is deleted from this legislation.
4. Research and development
Both the EU and HM Government (see page 140
of Choosing Health) have identified a lack of research to support
their work in the field of obesity and this is of particular concern
given the fact that a great deal of public policy work is currently
being conducted in this important area. Industry has a vital role
to play in filling in the gaps in knowledge suffered by those
devising policies on obesity and the resources of the private
sector need to be deployed in this fight. As an example there
currently exist 44 separate peer reviewed studies[63]
supporting controlled carbohydrate dietary approaches and include
works on their safety, their effectiveness as a weight loss tool,
as well as their beneficial effect on those suffering from diabetes.
Recommendation
The Government should put in place a mechanism
for information sharing with industry where, when appropriate,
research can aid policy making and ensure new and innovative products,
programmes and approaches are adopted. The ANA is but one example
of where this could deliver real and rapid benefits.
January 2005
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