Prevention of obesity: the role of the food industry

The food industry is a critical factor in any potentially successful long-term strategy to prevent obesity. By producing new products low in energy density and improving the nutritional quality (and reducing the energy content) of existing products, as well as through advances in responsible marketing and labeling, the food industry can provide foods that enable consumers to achieve lower energy intakes without going short of essential nutrients. The food industry is not the sole factor and government policies regarding agriculture, prices and subsidies are equally essential. Caterers and retailers are yet another important cog in the wheel for progress in obesity prevention. Intensive collaboration between all these players will only be attained if obesity prevention is given the priority it deserves in future public health planning.