Response 285550232

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Questions

Question 1. Should mandatory calorie labelling at point of choice, for example, menus, menu boards or digital ordering apps in the Out of Home sector (as listed in paragraph 1.2) in Scotland be implemented?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Don't know
Please explain your answer
For people with eating disorders (including myself) this is a deadly policy that makes existing outside of my home horrendously difficult. Calorie counts on menus encourage everyone to monitor their food intake more than is necessary, and the evidence suggests it may not work to help prevent obesity. Obesity has many causes, including poverty and genetics, neither of which are influenced by a culture of shaming.

Question 2. Should any of the sectors listed in paragraph 1.2 be exempt from mandatory calorie labelling? If yes, please explain why.

Please select one item
Yes
No
Don't know

Question 3. To which size of business in scope of the policy, should mandatory calorie labelling apply:

Please select all that apply
All businesses
All except businesses with fewer than 10 employees (micro)
All except businesses with fewer than 50 employees (small and micro)
All except businesses with fewer than 250 employees (medium, small and micro)
None
Other
Don’t know

Question 4 . We are considering including food provided for residents and/or patients within the following public sector institutions within the scope of the policy. Should food in these settings be included within the scope of the policy?

Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know

Question 5 . The intention is that pre packed for direct sale (PPDS) foods would fall within the scope of the policy. Do you agree with that proposal?

Please select one item
Yes
No
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Question 6 . Should the foods and drinks listed below be exempt from calorie labelling? (please state your view for each of the above)

Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know
Yes No Don't know

Question 7 . Should menus marketed specifically at children be exempt from calorie labelling?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Don’t know
Please explain your answer
No child needs to count calories.

Question 8. Should businesses be required to provide calorie information about options on children’s menus to parents and carers on request?

Please select one item
Yes
No
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Question 9. What are your views on the proposed requirements shown below for the display of calorie information?

Calorie information should be provided at all points of choice
Cannot stress how dangerous this could be. The number of people seeking help for eating disorders has tripled in recent years, and this policy would worsen the mental health crisis that we see unfolding.
Calorie information should include the reference statement of “adults need around 2,000 calories a day”
Most adults need more calories than this? Dwayne Johnson and Heidi Klum need different amounts of calories in a day, and there is no “one size fits all” approach to the human diet that is truly healthy for your physical or mental health.

Question 10. Should businesses be required or provide the option to have menus without calorie information available on request of the consumer?

Please select one item
It should be a requirement for businesses
It should be an option for businesses
Don’t know

Questions

Question 19. What impacts, if any, do you think the proposed policy would have on people living with socio-economic disadvantage? Please consider both potentially positive and negative impacts and provide evidence where available.

Please give us your views
We know that poverty and obesity are linked. By adding calorie counts to menus and points of choice for food OOH, the government would be adding to the already prevalent culture of shaming around peoples food choices, a culture that causes immense harm to so many people. Tackling obesity is a worthwhile goal but there are surely ways of doing that which don’t put so many vulnerable people at risk.

Question 20 . Please use this space to identify other communities or population groups who you consider may be differentially impacted by this policy proposal. Please consider both potentially positive and negative impacts and provide evidence where available.

Please give us your views
People with existing mental health conditions such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression and of course those who already suffer with eating disorders will be immensely effected by this. The Scottish government cannot claim to take mental health seriously and also enact this policy, one which would excessively harm those suffering with an eating disorder, which is statistically the most deadly form of mental health condition.

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