Policies that place responsibility on the individual don’t work

The government recently announced plans to work towards the reduction of overweight across the UK. The strategy will impose a ban on advertisements for unhealthy foods on television before a particular hour, halt “buy one, get one free” junk food deals, and also create complete calorie information in food and beverages.

The government also has introduced The Better Health campaign that aims to inspire obese and overweight people to shed weight. The program provides aid and assistance from NHS services for weight management and includes the Better Health 12-week weight loss program app.

Although some of the suggested strategies have been long overdue – like a ban on commercials for junk food – the majority of these programs still emphasized encouraging people to alter their lifestyle and eating habits. This kind of approach ignores the numerous factors that contribute to obesity, but these strategies have also proven unsuccessful time and time again.

Individual personal responsibility

Since the beginning of time, health promotion programs that target non-communicable illnesses have been concentrated on encouraging people to modify their ways of life. The reason is that conditions (such as heart and diabetes disease) are usually caused by certain factors that can be changed – like unhealthy diet, smoking, drinking, or not exercising enough.

These campaigns aim to provide people with the knowledge needed to alter their behavior. These so-called “nudges” are also used to help promote changes in lifestyle. Examples include increased visibility of healthy foods in the supermarket and urging people to walk the stairs when they are possible.

Read more: Four reasons the UK government’s obesity strategy may not work for everyone.

However, a growing body of research shows these types of health policies don’t work. This is because such policies place responsibility on the person, ignoring the other drivers of obesity. Social inequity, the influence of food and beverage industries, and specific aspects of globalization (including trade liberalization) are all known causes of obesity.

Healthy food choices are typically less expensive and easier to access than more nutritious options. sixpixx/ Shutterstock

Policies that focus on changing behavior can lead to people being blamed for factors that are completely out of their control. The most troubling aspect at this moment is the focus of the government on obesity as the primary reason for the rise in coronavirus-related deaths. While there’s no doubt there’s a link between COVID-19 and obesity, the obesity-focused strategy of the government effectively shifts the responsibility away from the government’s response to people who are overweight.

Health policymakers increasingly recognize that a variety of factors beyond the control of a person cause health disparities. But, the policies on health created time and time again are prone to promote lifestyle changes as a way to reduce the problem.

Research suggests that obesity significantly affects people who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Instead of trying to address the factors that cause these inequalities, the policy responses continue to encourage lifestyle changes that are specifically targeted toward the poorer population. These groups are stigmatized as more needy rather than offering solutions. This does not address problems of access and affordability to healthy lifestyles, which people in more impoverished communities typically face.