If you follow the news, you might have seen that Tesco lately made an appearance.
The supermarket chain opened its first “healthy only store” in Southport.
This is in line with the government’s take on obesity. The pandemic highlighted how risky to health being severely overweight can be.
This is by no means is new knowledge – we have plenty of research showing that being overweight and obese can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, the risk of cancer and other life changing diseases.
78% of those hospitalised with coronavirus are/were obese or overweight in the US. If you are overweight, we are not trying to scare you. Carrying excess body fat is not in itself a life sentence; however, your risks are increased and research has shown that losing just 5% of body fat can make a huge difference to your health reducing the risk of Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and improved metabolic function in liver, fat and muscle tissue. (Effects of Moderate and Subsequent Progressive Weight Loss on Metabolic Function and Adipose Tissue Biology in Humans with Obesity, Klein Et al 2016).
In light of undeniable data, the UK government decided it was time to take action. This is why from October the new HSSF regulation will come live.
In a bid to reduce the consumption of foods high in salt, sugar or fat (HSSF), this law involves, amongst other things, that these foods can not be part of offers and cannot be positioned in the most strategic marketing spots (think end of aisles and by the tills).
Tesco is going the extra mile by launching its first store that does not sell these products at all and by introducing “under 100kcal” aisles.
So what do 3 certified nutritionists think about this?
Here it goes.
The legislation and consequent actions supermarkets have taken and will take come from a great place. Overweight and obese people have the power to reduce some risks and enjoy a better quality of life by losing weight.
HOWEVER.
This is not always easy for everyone and, despite what some people might believe, overweight and obese people often do not choose to be that way.
This legislation is the first step in the right direction and it supports one of the messages we always give out: 80% of your diet should be made of wholesome, unprocessed foods.
However, it’s not sufficient in itself as it doesn’t empower people with the knowledge they need to make nutritional choices in line with their goals.
That’s where we step in. It’s not the government’s job to teach you how to lose weight, it’s ours.
We have helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off, well before the government decided to intervene.
Our aceTRANSFORMERS know that you don’t need to shop in a “healthy-only” store in order to lose weight. You can shop anywhere and make good decisions (as long as you have the knowledge to make these decisions!). We will admit though that a 100kcal aisle could be helpful.
The pictures we have seen online so far show that these aisles are packed with crisps and chocolate. Which is fine, nothing wrong with those – if you regularly consume these foods, pre-portioned snacks can really make a huge difference in controlling how many calories you consume. But there are many other options that are more filling and satisfying, like these.
So all in all, this is a great start and a huge first step into raising awareness on the risks that being overweight and obese can bring.
If this felt like a wake up call for you, then let us help you.
We have designed aceTRANSFORM, a 12 week fat loss programme designed to not only help you transform your body but your mind too. This has already changed thousands of lives. There are no secrets and you’ll leave after 12-weeks having lost weight, got fitter and stronger and gained all the knowledge you need. It works because we don’t leave your side for those 12 weeks and beyond, we keep you accountable to your own word. And it’s sustainable because we slowly change your whole lifestyle. Nothing drastic, no foods to be avoided and no impossible workouts to complete. Just small changes that you can really stick to in the long term.
Do you want to know more? Visit our website or contact us now at info@ace-lifestyle.com!
With intakes starting on the first Monday of every month, you really have no excuses.
