Nudging With Calorie Counts: Health and Eating Disorders
The UK government wants all restaurants to put calorie counts on the menu. Here’s why that’s both good — and bad.
Boris Johnson is all about health now.
At seventeen stone and seven pounds when he was admitted to hospital with COVID-19 in early April, he now realises that his weight was a key reason for the severity of his illness. His BMI was over 36, comfortably putting him in the “obese” category.
He’s lost at least a stone since being discharged after a spell in intensive care. His personal epiphany has now become a political realisation, that many people in Britain need to lose weight — and that the government needs to do something about the poor health of the nation.
And he’s absolutely right. Nearly 2/3 of the population is obese or overweight, putting extra pressure on the NHS and food supplies, contributing to climate change, and worsening people’s health.
There are many different measures the government is putting into place as part of this new agenda. Some fall into the “nanny state” category, such as banning two-for-one deals on sugary foods. But other measures are more libertarian, nudging people towards healthy options without limiting their choices.
