Figure 1: Factors affecting retail food environments
The Sri Lankan context A World Bank survey indicates that the shares of the Sri Lankan adult population engaging in high-risk NCD behaviours are fairly high (Figure 2). In particular, over 70% of adults do not consume the WHO-recommended five portions of fruits and vegetables per day, while close to 30% eat processed food regularly and are overweight.Figure 2: Share of Sri Lankan adults engaged in high-risk NCD behaviours, 2015
While the government has long recognised the need for and has committed to controlling NCDs through multiple policy initiatives, focus on addressing NCD risk factors has gained momentum only recently, apart from interventions for controlling tobacco and alcohol usage. Recent measures to control sugar and salt consumption include a “traffic light labeling system” which mandates the labelling of the sugar content of sweetened beverages using traffic light colours and a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to make them less affordable. Regulating food environments Policies designed to encourage healthy retail food environments have been successfully adopted only very recently, even at the global level. Research at the Global Obesity Centre of Deakin University indicates that there is significant scope for regulatory and fiscal policies from multiple levels of government to positively influence food environments via taxation, marketing, and food labelling, as well as urban planning, food procurement, and food availability. Some best practice policy examples at the national and state government levels include:- A ban on the sale and promotion of all foods high in fat, added sugar, or sodium within 50 metres from schools in India
- A ban on the sale of SSBs and highly processed foods to children in several states in Mexico
- Legislation introduced in the UK to ban over 100,000 unhealthy food price promotions, including limits on “buy one, get one free” deals and the sale of unlimited refills of unhealthy foods