1. 5 updates

Health officials: 'Cut sugary drinks and TV'

People should be told to cut down on their sugar intake and limit time in front of the television to fend off obesity, health officials have warned.

New NHS guidance states that following a healthy diet and being active is important for everyone, not just for those who are overweight or obese.

Live updates

What you do while watching TV 'seems to be the issue'

A health chief behind fresh guidelines on tackling obesity has warned it is not just TV that causes problems but "what you are doing while you are watching television that seems to be the issue".

NICE's director for public health, Professor Mike Kelly said doctors "needed to be a bit clearer" with their advice if the UK was to get a grip on its growing obesity crisis.

He told Good Morning Britain: "Is it because people simply snack more while they're watching television? Is it because what is on the television prompts them to go and eat more?"

NICE obesity guidelines 'based on real evidence'

Fresh guidelines on tackling obesity from NICE are more specific and "based on real evidence", a spokesperson for the NHS body said.

Professor Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health at Nice.

The general rule for maintaining a healthy weight is that energy intake through food and drink should not exceed energy output from daily activity.

We all know we should probably take the stairs rather than the lift, cut down on TV time, eat more healthily and drink less alcohol. But it can be difficult to know the most useful changes that we can make in terms of our weight.

This updated guideline makes a number of recommendations which aim to ensure that the advice people are given about maintaining a healthy weight is more specific and based on real evidence.

– Professor Mike Kelly

Advertisement

Doctors to recommend 'TV-free days' to tackle obesity

Doctors will start recommending overweight patients have TV-free days or get strict and cut their viewing time to two hours per day, according to fresh guidelines.

Limiting TV intake is a good way to cut obesity rates, NICE said. Credit: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

People should also keep an eye on their weight using bathroom scales and calories counting apps, according to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The guidelines also make a number of dietary recommendations - patients should reduce their intake of calorific foods including biscuits, sweets and chocolate, full-fat cheeses and fried foods.

Doctors recommend people follow a "Mediterranean diet" by eating vegetables, fruits, beans, pulses, wholegrains and fish and uses olive oil instead of other fats.

Doctors urge public to cut down on sugar and TV

Credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

People should be told to cut down on their sugar intake and limit time in front of the television to fend off obesity, health officials have warned.

New NHS guidance states that following a healthy diet and being active is important for everyone, not just for those who are overweight or obese.

Back to top