By Ben Spencer Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail
Published: 23:30 BST, 17 April 2019 | Updated: 23:30 BST, 17 April 2019
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Food giants will be responsible for thousands of needless cases of diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer if they fail to hit the Government's sugar reduction targets, research suggests.
Oxford University academics calculated that the scheme - which aims to cut sugar by a fifth in cereals, yogurts and sweet treats - will significantly cut obesity and reduce hundreds of thousands of cases of disease if it is successful.
But they warned that initial progress has been poor and industry is already falling behind on the targets.
A third of children and two thirds of adults in Britain are now overweight, making the UK one of the fattest nations in Europe.
Oxford University academics calculated that the scheme - which aims to cut sugar by a fifth in cereals, yogurts and sweet treats - will significantly cut obesity and reduce hundreds of thousands of cases of disease if it is successful
Food campaigners last night called for the voluntary sugar reduction scheme - a key part of the Government's childhood obesity strategy - to be made mandatory if it is ever going to work.
Theresa May introduced the strategy as one of her first main policies when she became prime minister in 2016, calling for companies to 'reformulate' their products to reduce sugar by 20 per cent by 2020.
She also called for a reduction in portion size and a shift in sales from high-sugar products to low-sugar alternatives.
Even at the time she was accused of 'caving in' to the junk food lobby by failing to make the voluntary request into a strict rule.
Proposed plans to restrict the number of calories in pizzas, pies and ready meals were last year revealed as part of drastic Government moves to try and cut down on obesity.
A tax on added sugar in drinks came into force in April, requiring companies to hand over more of the money they make from drinks which contain more than 5g of sugar per 100ml of liquid.
As a result, many soft drinks have had their recipes changed in order to avoid paying the tax and putting prices up. Sugary drinks are the biggest single source of sugar for children and teenagers.
The Government is also considering making it compulsory for all restaurants and fast food outlets to display the number of calories in each meal on their menu.
Some food outlets already do this but there can be unexpected numbers of calories in popular dishes, and the Government is consulting on the plans before a decision is due in spring.
In March this year, Public Health England warned Brits to crack down on the number of calories they're eating, advising people to consume no more than 1,600 per day.
The watchdog says adults shouldn't eat any more than 400 calories for breakfast, 600 for lunch and 600 for dinner – this would
