Creating healthier food options for children
Child obesity levels are on the rise. Currently, one in five children starting primary school in the UK is overweight or obese. The environments they grow up in have a huge role to play in their health.
ShareAction’s new Healthy Markets campaign, funded by Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Charity, will gather investment allies to tackle childhood obesity. The campaign will bring together investors to ask UK food and drinks companies to produce healthier, more affordable products; limit advertising of sugary products to children; and encourage clear and accurate food labelling.
Why this is important and what we’re doing about it
Being obese as a child greatly increases the risk of being obese as an adult and this has profound economic and social costs to society, including an estimated £6.1bn to the NHS and £27 billion in reduced productivity and economic growth costs per year.
There is an increasing swell of political and public support for action in this space, with regulation already in place for sugary drinks and voluntary targets set for companies to reduce both sugar and calories across other product categories. Alongside changing customer preferences shifting towards healthier and low sugar products, there are clear financial, reputational, and operational risks for companies and investors that fail to respond.
ShareAction will harness the power of the investment system to redesign the food environments children are exposed to. We will target the major food and drink retailers and manufacturers that sell their products in the UK, benchmarking them on their performance, and engaging with them at AGMs and through letters signed by a coalition of supporting investors.
“We’re excited to explore with ShareAction how encouraging responsible investment can help improve the availability of healthier options for everyone.”
“We’re proud to be supporting investors to make a positive impact on the lives of young people… We believe it makes particular sense for pension funds to focus on public health given its relevance to the lives and well-being of millions of UK pension savers.”
Latest news
AGM season 2020: Five companies to watch
It’s that time of year again – AGM Season 2020 is upon us. ShareAction will be asking tough questions of the biggest UK companies – and we need your help!
Spotlight on supermarkets: The role of retailers in tackling childhood obesity
New research has collated the public commitments and activities of the UK’s top 10 retailers when it comes to tackling childhood obesity. But how transparent are supermarkets being, and what actions are they taking?
Serious doubts raised over UK supermarkets’ efforts to improve diets and tackle obesity
World Economic Forum 2020 – deliver a future where all finance powers social progress
As the World Economic Forum gets underway in Davos, Switzerland we outline four steps that show how our money can change everything.
A risky business: UK food and drink manufacturers lagging behind healthy eating habits
Healthier business will bear fruit for the largest supermarkets
Resources
Healthy Competition: Why the safest bet for investors is healthier retail markets and how to get there
Hitting the Sweet Spot: the Investment Case for Solutions to Childhood Obesity
Get in touch
Ellie Chapman
Programme Manager - Food and Health