Professor Sir Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, has recommended a levy on unhealthy food to address childhood obesity.  

The Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2024, titled 'Health in Cities', calls on the government to address the underlying causes of unhealthy eating in the country's cities, particularly the widespread availability of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS).  

Whitty said “the food environment in parts of cities entrenches inequalities in health and promotes obesity”. 

The report points out that children and adults face a "shorter and unhealthier life" due to obesity and diseases linked to junk food. 

The consumption of HFSS foods is linked to increased food-related health issues, such as dental decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. 

In the report, Whitty added that relying solely on “education and willpower” is insufficient to reduce food-related health issues, as humans are “genetically wired to crave calorie-rich food”.  

According to the CMO, “meaningful change to food environments is possible” by implementing healthy food sales targets, and mandatory reporting on food types and volumes sold by firms. 

The report, a longstanding annual publication, also proposes an industry levy on unhealthy food to motivate companies to reduce salt and sugar content.  

The report cites expert groups, offering suggestions such as an “excess profits” tax on retailers or producers of products high in sugar and salt, or a category-based tax like the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), which could apply to items such as confectionery, while excluding basic staples like bread. 

Research indicates that the SDIL has led to reductions in sugar intake, particularly among low-income families, with positive health impacts on children.  

The report highlights the disparity in food costs, noting that healthy food is nearly “twice as expensive as unhealthy food”, disproportionately affecting poorer families.  

Inner-city children and families “are less likely to have access” to healthy, affordable food and face increased exposure to unhealthy food advertising, it added. 

“This means that food-related ill health is not experienced equally by children, families and communities across the country, with children and families living in more deprived areas more acutely affected by a food system where the unhealthy options are often the most available,” the report read.  

It adds that the most deprived fifth of the population would need to allocate 50% of their disposable income to afford a government-recommended healthy diet, compared with 11% for the least deprived fifth. 

The CMO’s report joins a series of high-profile recommendations for an industry levy on unhealthy food, including those from the National Food Strategy, the Times Health Commission, and the Lords’ Select Committee on Food, Diet, and Obesity. 

Recipe for Change campaign coordinator at Sustain, Kate Howard, said: “We strongly welcome the recommendations of this report including the call for incentivising healthier food production through a new levy.  

“A new industry levy has now been called for by multiple experts and support from the public remains high.”