To bring down the prevalence of obesity, the people living in Britain are being advised to reduce their calorie intake to about 1600 calories per day.
The level of calories consumed by the British needs to caped at 1600 calories, recommends a new measure which is being proposed to reduce the prevalence of obesity in the country. This was report was published in the new health guidelines, released by a government health agency, the Public Health England (PHE). The suggestions from PHE which is a government agency for preventing ill health, include 400 calories for breakfast, 600 for lunch and 600 for dinner and this does not include drinks, the Daily Mail reported. For those who follow this, 200 calories in form of snacks can be taken.
‘The measure is taken with an intention not only to reduce the rates of obesity, but also to promote healthy eating practices among the people in Britain. This measure according to the officials is just a rule of the thumb, than a strict regulation.
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The new amount is below the current recommended daily intake of 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 for men. The new calorie guidelines the One You nutrition campaign will be rolled out by PHE in March, and adults will be told to remember the "400-600-600" rule.
Officials are also in talks with coffee shop chains and supermarkets to promote healthy breakfast and lunch options within the limit.
"We can no longer hide behind the charade that having a takeaway or eating out is merely a treat. Adults consume 200 to 300 excess calories each day and this calorie creep is contributing to weight gain and other serious health conditions," a PHE spokesman was quoted telling the Daily Mail.
"This is why we're working with high street chains to offer healthier options through our reduction programs and new One You nutritional campaign," the spokesman added.
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An average adult is overeating by 300 calories a day, and this so called "calorie-creep" is leading to a steady weight gain, officials said.
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"Portion sizes are getting bigger and bigger and people are mindlessly eating them just because they are there. The idea is sound because we are eating too much, but my feeling is the thresholds are too low," Fry added.
However, the guidelines are merely a "rule of thumb" rather than strict limits, the government agency said.
Experts, on the other hand, have criticized the move. The calorie guidelines are "not based on evidence and are essentially a lie designed to manipulate people into eating less", said Christopher Snowdon from the Institute of Economic Affairs think-tank.
Source-IANS