Tackling challenges to make the next 25 years healthier

New insights shared at this year’s City Food and Drink Lecture in London, UK, underscore the urgent need to tackle obesity in the UK, which continues to pose serious health, social and economic challenges, the organisers say.

Susan Jebb OBE, professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford, highlighted alarming obesity trends and stressed the importance of collective responsibility and action. From consumers to big food companies, Professor Jebb discussed how we need to change if we are to make the next 25 years healthier than the last.

Speaking at the event, Professor Jebb explained that more than one billion people globally are living with obesity, a number that continues to rise rapidly. In the UK, 28% of adults are classified as obese, with a further 40% considered overweight.

Also concerning is that by the time children start school, 10% are already overweight, a figure that doubles by the time they finish school, and disproportionately affects children in more deprived areas, leading to poorer long-term health.

Obesity also imposes a heavy economic burden, costing the NHS nearly £10 billion annually, and £24 billion each year in productivity losses.

While Professor Jebb explained action on obesity had fallen well short of previous targets for improvement, she emphasised that progress is achievable. Drawing on the UK’s success in reducing smoking rates, from half of adults 50 years ago to just 12%, Professor Jebb outlined how similar coordinated strategies could drive meaningful change in tackling obesity – improving obesity treatment, shifting the food system towards healthier foods, and building a healthier food culture.

She also highlighted some growing trends, including how rising consumer concern over ultra-processed foods and the growing use of GLP-1 medicines are reshaping consumer demands for food. Survey data from the Food Standards Agency shows that 79% of people are concerned about ultra processed foods and almost half report actively changing their eating habits away from processed foods. In addition to this, Professor Jebb pointed out that already around two million people in the UK are using GLP-1s and this is set to increase. Each of these factors are creating both disruption and opportunity for the industry.

She said, “This is a moment of opportunity for change – we can be the generation that takes the next step. If businesses are to successfully respond to this changing environment it will require a combination of approaches: more nutritious ingredients, moving away from reliance on HFSS products, and supporting people to develop new food skills and healthier eating habits. Together with grassroots initiatives, which are boosting food literacy this could foster meaningful societal change.

Addressing the obesity crisis, she emphasised that the food industry must take a lead in driving change. Producers, manufacturers, and retailers have a responsibility to transform the products they make and how they make them, to deliver a food system that prioritises health and nutrition. People are looking for support to move towards healthier diets with foods that are convenient and affordable – she warned, “healthy eating cannot become an expensive hobby.”

Such a reset could transform health over the next 25 years, creating environments where healthier choices are easier for everyone, and food becomes a force for good.

Professor Jebb concluded her lecture with a challenge for everyone to contemplate, noting, “What will we do to make the next 25 years healthier than the last?”