Portsmouth MP throws her weight behind new '˜sugar bill'

The Sugar Bill hopes to tackle the underlying causes of obesity and has support from the Royal College of Physicians and Cancer Research.

Flick Drummond, Portsmouth South MP, has now thrown her weight behind the new legislation.

She said: ‘Here in the UK we have the highest level of obesity in western Europe with one in four adults obese and nearly two in three adults overweight, plus four million with type two diabetes.

‘In Portsmouth there are major problems with obesity rates and general unhealthy living leading to high instances of diabetes and even amputations due to the condition, so there is a real need for action to be taken.’

Mrs Drummond said the new labelling would help ease confusion faced by consumers over how much sugar is in a product, adding this would be a ‘welcome tool’ in the battle against obesity and diabetes.

Other proposals in the private members’ bill, which is now making its way through the House of Commons, includes restricting TV advertising of foods with more than 20 per cent sugar content until after the 9pm watershed.