More than one-third of the candy sold in England is bought on impulse. Needless to say, the industry wants no more laws or taxes.

The food industry and the retail establishment are active enablers of obesity, and this is an enormous philosophical and political issue.

In the U.K., many worried people want to do something to curb the power of the food and drink industries, whose ability to bend young minds is legendary.

In what has been called a “rarely used budget maneuver,” CHIP’s contingency fund was rescinded, resulting in an uncertain future for the program.

Following in the footsteps of the previous two posts, this one looks at government agencies that are in danger of reduced funding or worse.

Some CDC-related obesity prevention programs have either already been impoverished or are potentially endangered by the federal budget cuts.

A number of CDC’s programs concerned with obesity might soon be on the federal government budget chopping block, if they are not already.

The CSPI says that Coke and the American Beverage Association have spent a lot of money to attack any science that connects the dots between SSBs and obesity.

According to some studies the differences in obesity prevalence between the U.K.’s most and least deprived areas has gotten worse.

The anti-obesity debate rages on in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including health and fitness of public school students.

By 2025 the U.K. government will be paying the equivalent of $31 billion per year to treat obesity and its many expensive co-morbidities.

There are more than 3.5 million cases of Type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom as a whole, and the childhood obesity rate is very high.

When it comes to obesity, her Majesty’s subjects are eternally interested in how their country compares to the rest of the world.

Scotland is said to have some of the best health service data available, in order to learn how best to address societal issues, including childhood obesity.

We’re stopping short of endorsing NFGFC Chair Jake Steinfeld’s blanket statement that obesity is preventable by just making changes in diet and exercise.

In Britain, Lord Ian McColl was a professor of surgery for nearly 30 years, and has been a member of the House of Lords since 1989. He popularized the magnificent slogan quoted in the title of this post, which refers to the obesity epidemic that kills …

When it comes to obesity prevention, there is no such thing as starting too soon, and WIC is in a powerful position to impact the obesity epidemic.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is reorganizing the USDA to concentrate on production and trade, while reducing food safety measures.

The Republic of Ireland ranks 58th for its proportion of overweight youth, a much worse rating than those held by the United Kingdom and the United States.

A recent study indicated that Ireland’s child obesity rates were no longer rising. What are some of the current obesity-prevention initiatives in Ireland?

Can the gentler, more altruistic branches of science gain useful knowledge from behavioral economists?

The benefits of nudging are not solidly proven. Also, is it moral and ethical? And if not, how can we allow the government to do it?

In behavioral economics, nudging could be used to steer people toward acting in ways that are better for society as a whole, including obesity reduction.

Critics say that despite new research the people in charge of the dietary guidelines are willfully ignoring the pertinent, “carbs bad, fat okay” studies.

What’s the update on MyPlate, the dietary guideline graphic created to replace the food pyramid, and revised every five years?

A lot of taxpayer dollars could have been put to better use such as, to name just a few possibilities, obesity prevention and treatment and diabetes prevention.

When the Chicago soda tax was threatened by a lawsuit and a restraining order, officials cast aside all pretense of intent to raise money to fight obesity.

While various soda tax battles were being waged in California, Colorado, and other states, Illinois entered the fray with a saga worthy of a TV mini-series.

The rationale for a soda tax is that money is spent on anti-obesity measures, but in reality the money often goes to all kinds of things.

Early last year, an attempt was made to tax soda, but the public wasn’t having it. Even the suggestion to label high-sugar beverages was shot down.