British health officials say the country's obesity epidemic has an easy fix: people should just eat less.



British officials say the new numbers are based on a better understanding of current activity levels and that an individual's ideal calorie count varies depending on factors like how much they exercise and their body mass index. Previous calorie recommendations underestimated the impact of physical activity, even though people are now more sedentary than two decades ago.

"This is not a license to eat more," said Alan Jackson, head of the scientific group that came up with the new recommendations.

Susan B. Roberts, a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University, said the new calorie advice seemed reasonable. "The old numbers were simply bad numbers because methodology was too basic in the old days," she said. "If you are telling somebody to eat 10 percent less, that is 10 percent less than they personally ate before,'"' she said.





The deal was previously slammed by health charities and leading medical organizations who argued the food and drink industry were dictating government policies. Lansley said the government would consider a 'fat tax,' but would prefer a voluntary approach.

Jane Ogden, an obesity expert at the University of Surrey, was doubtful whether the government's new strategy would succeed and called for more proactive measures to limit bad food options. "It doesn't work to tell people to eat less," she said. "At the end of the day, people don't make good choices."