The UK government on Monday launched a new anti-obesity drive to help people lose weight and become healthier after what has been pegged as a COVID-19 "wake up call".
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has himself lost weight since his own hospitalisation after testing positive for the deadly coronavirus earlier this year, said that getting fitter is important to help protect against the virus as well as the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) from added pressures.
"Losing weight is hard but with some small changes we can all feel fitter and healthier," said Johnson.
"If we all do our bit, we can reduce our health risks and protect ourselves against coronavirus - as well as taking pressure off the NHS," he said.
"We know obesity increases the risk of serious illness and death from coronavirus - so it's vital we take action on obesity to protect the NHS and improve our nation's health," added UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
The raft of new measures unveiled by the Department of Health and Social Care are being launched alongside a new "Better Health" campaign, led by Public Health England (PHE), which will call on people to embrace a healthier lifestyle and to lose weight if they need to, supported by a range of evidence-based tools and apps providing advice on how to slim down the waistline.
