Summary

In January the UK government launched the campaign ‘Change 4 life’. The accompanying slogan reads: “Eat well, Move more, Live longer”. The campaign, aimed at children and parents, highlights an attempt to tackle obesity, diabetes and heart disease; often considered to be some of the most serious public health problems in the rich world. These issues can be seen as a by-product of an affluent society, for whom energy is abundant and food comes fast. Whilst the UK does not reflect global society, it does represent trends in the rich Global North: a model that many ‘developing countries’ are being forced to replicate.