Dairy UK welcomes exercise and healthy eating report

The publication of the Impact of Physical Activity and Diet on Health report by the Health Select Committee has been welcomed by Dairy UK, who hopes it will spur the government into raising awareness of the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK, says, “The issue of obesity is of crucial importance in the UK, with two thirds of the adult population overweight or obese, and must be addressed through preventative measures, including the improvement of the communications around healthy eating and lifestyle. The report reflects many of the points made by Dairy UK in the past years and it is encouraging to see that politicians are recognising that the impact of diet and physical activity on health is complex and multi-faceted.

“A healthy and balanced diet is essential in reducing the risk of obesity and disease. Making simple alterations to our diet and lifestyle can impact greatly on our bodies and our long term health. It is known that adding even small amounts of dairy foods to the diet can improve overall diet quality.”

“In our submission to the Committee, we highlighted that milk can play a key role as a healthy choice pre- and post-exercise as it contains nutrients that are essential to people of all ages, and are particularly important for those engaged in all levels of sport and physical activity.”

“Although there are no health claims on the EU register for milk and sport, it must be recognised that there is a significant body of scientific evidence which shows that milk can help with rehydration, protein synthesis and muscle mass increase. There is a move worldwide to ensure that diets are based on foods that are nutrient rich rather than those which provide a lot of energy but little in the way of nutrition. Milk is a naturally nutrient rich food.”

Related content

Leave a reply

Dairy Industries International