Industry Watch
64.5% of Adults in England Overweight or Obese, New Data Reveals
19th May 2025
64.5% of adults aged 18 years plus were estimated to be overweight or living with obesity in England in 2023-2024. This is higher than 2022-2023 where 64.0% were estimated to be overweight or living with obesity.
There has been an increase in the estimated number of people overweight or living with obesity since 2015-2016 when the estimated percentage was at 61.2%.
The prevalence of adults in England overweight and living with obesity increased with age up to age 64 in 2023-2024 and then decreased in the 65 to 74 years old and older age groups.
COGNITION for smart kids and teens launched by Food for the Brain
19th May 2025
Food for the Brain have launched a new project to find out what the best diet is to develop a child’s emotional, intellectual, and behavioural development.
Parents are invited to complete a questionnaire about their child’s diet and lifestyle and also behaviour and emotion aspects using a Strengths & Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). The child also completes a validated online Cognitive Function Test.
Parents are then advised about any areas of concern and what to do about it. Parents can join the COGNITION for Smart Kids and Teens programme, and get text reminders and emails and join groups on Zoom which promote optimum lifestyle and nutrition changes.
The medicine of…competitive eating
6th May 2025
Competitive eating involves participants eating as much food as possible in a set period of time.
The biggest event in competitive eating is the hotdog eating contest in Coney Island, New York City which is held annually on 4th July. The competitors consume as many hotdogs, including buns, as they can in 10 minutes. The record is 76 hotdogs.
Risks of competitive eating include choking, possible rupturing of the oesophagus or stomach and aspiration pneumonia. However, there are a lack of studies on the effects of competitive eating.
Egg safety warning: Food poisoning risk as supermarket suppliers found to use fake best-before dates
6th May 2025
Egg producers have been prosecuted for falsifying their best before dates which have put many people at risk of food poisoning.
'Class A' eggs which are the only grade shops, supermarkets, and pubs can legally sell, must have a 'best before' date not greater than 28 days after they are laid, under UK law.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have found businesses that were re-labelling their eggs and prolonging the 'best before' dates.
apetito Wiltshire Farm Foods Appoints Senior Dietitian
21st April 2025
Leading meals producer, apetito Wiltshire Farm Foods, has appointed a new Senior Dietitian, Rachel Sipaul, to its New Product Development team.
Joining from ‘Education Catering’ with Hampshire County Council, Rachel led on nutritional support for children across 400+ schools. Speaking of her new role, Rachel says:
“I’m delighted to join apetito Wiltshire Farm Foods as Senior Dietitian. The company is renowned within the Healthcare, Care Homes, Education and Social Care sectors for its award-winning meals and for its pioneering work across specialist nutrition.
