The Brits are too fat and Prime Minister Johnson is not doing enough about it, says Jamie Oliver. In order to enforce a labeling requirement that has just been postponed, the celebrity chef announces a protest in front of Downing Street. A traditional strawberry and cream dessert is to be used.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has threatened to protest with the famous sweet Eton Mess in protest at a delayed anti-obesity strategy by the British government. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has 36 hours to reverse his mistake and introduce obesity measures in a timely manner, Oliver said in a video taken outside Downing Street that he posted on Instagram.
Otherwise, he called on Brits to gather at Downing Street on Friday with bowls of Eton Mess - the strawberry and cream concoction loved by Britain's upper class. The dessert was "invented in the privileged place" where the prime minister went to school - the elite school Eton.
The British government originally wanted to ban discount offers and TV advertising for unhealthy food from October. In view of rising food prices, however, she has now postponed this project by a year. Obesity is a widespread problem in British society and a major burden on the healthcare system. Jamie Oliver called the delay a "missed opportunity" and warned that children in particular are being hit by the negative effects.
Since the beginning of April, larger restaurants and chains in England have had to indicate on their menus which dish has how many calories. The requirement applies to chains, restaurants and cafés with at least 250 employees and refers to all non-packaged food and soft drinks. The government launched the measure as part of its obesity strategy.
According to official figures, almost two thirds of adults in England are overweight and one in three children leave primary school at an unhealthy weight. "Obesity is one of the biggest health problems we have in the country," said a spokesman for the UK Department of Health. "Clear food labeling plays an important role in helping people make healthier choices for themselves and their families." However, critics fear that the new way of counting calories in restaurants could also have undesirable side effects. The aid organization Beat, for example, criticized that the government had not sought advice from experts on the effects of the innovation on those affected by eating disorders.
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