Food labels have far-reaching effects on our health
By Melissa Hogenboom
Published on May 4, 2026.
The food environment, produced, marketed and sold as "obesogenic", influences consumers to make unhealthy choices, leading experts to suggest behavioural interventions and policy changes to prevent obesity. A 2025 Lancet paper suggests that by 2050, over half of the world's adults are predicted to be obese, if current trends continue, this rise can be prevented. Public health researcher at Imperial College London, Franco Sassi, argues that while individuals feel they can choose what they buy and eat, the environment is what determines what they choose, leading to unhealthy choices. In several European countries, food products now have a front-of-pack label called a "Nutri-score", which was first implemented in France and has led to increased consumer awareness.
Read Original Article