Preventive Health Collaboration

Our prevention agenda

Seven changes that would make prevention normal

Each ask is short enough to say in one breath and solid enough to survive being checked. Together they are our campaign, and every activity we run supports at least one of them.

Back the seven asks

Our seven asks

What is broken, what would change, and the evidence behind each one.

  1. Schools

    Ask 1: Every child leaves school food literate

    Practical cooking and nutrition for every child, so they leave school able to feed themselves well.

    What is broken
    Cooking and nutrition stop being compulsory at 14, tucked inside Design and Technology.
    What would change
    Every child learns to plan, shop for and cook simple, healthy meals, and to read a food label, before they leave school.
    Evidence and sources for ask 1

  2. Healthcare

    Ask 2: No weight loss prescription without a plan

    Anyone prescribed a weight loss drug, NHS or private, also gets a plan for food, movement and coming off it.

    What is broken
    On the NHS, weight loss jabs come with diet and activity support. Bought privately, there is no such requirement.
    What would change
    Every prescriber, NHS or private, offers a plan for food, movement and coming off the drug, with support to follow it.
    Evidence and sources for ask 2

  3. Healthcare

    Ask 3: Real nutrition training in medical degrees

    Every new doctor can talk to patients confidently about food and how it affects their health.

    What is broken
    More than seven in ten UK medical students and doctors surveyed had less than two hours of nutrition training.
    What would change
    Nutrition is taught and assessed properly in every medical degree, so new doctors can give confident, practical advice on food.
    Evidence and sources for ask 3

  4. Policy

    Ask 4: Policy moved off calories and onto food quality

    Policy judges food by what it is and what has been done to it, not only by its calories.

    What is broken
    Calorie labels on menus in England made no measurable difference to the calories people bought.
    What would change
    Food policy looks at what food is and how it has been made, not only at how many calories it contains.
    Evidence and sources for ask 4

  5. Policy

    Ask 5: One person accountable to Parliament for the nation's diet

    A single named post with the authority to join up food, health, farming and schools.

    What is broken
    Food, health, farming and schools sit in different departments. No one owns the question of whether the nation's diet is fit to eat.
    What would change
    One named person, answerable to Parliament, with the authority to join up food, health, farming and schools.

  6. Policy

    Ask 6: An independent review of the Eatwell Guide

    An independent, transparent review, free of industry influence, using today's evidence.

    What is broken
    Last revised in 2016, the Eatwell Guide does not group foods by how processed they are.
    What would change
    An independent, transparent review, free of industry influence, that weighs today's evidence, including on food processing.
    Evidence and sources for ask 6

  7. Food system

    Ask 7: Public money redirected to growers of real food

    Farm support that puts fresh, minimally processed food within everyone's reach.

    What is broken
    Heavily processed food is everywhere, while fresh, real food can be hard to find.
    What would change
    Public money for farming rewards growing fresh, minimally processed food, so it is easy to find wherever people shop.
    Evidence and sources for ask 7

How we campaign

For prevention, not against anyone

  • Never party political. We work with every party and every government, and campaign against none.
  • For prevention, not against treatment. Good medical care matters. We make the case for stopping illness before it starts.
  • Evidence first. Every figure carries its source, so anyone can check our working.
  • Independent. No money from food manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies.

Progress

The scoreboard

We track movement on every ask and publish it, including where nothing has moved.

Status of each of the seven asks
AskStatus
1. Food literate school leaversRaising
2. No prescription without a planRaising
3. Nutrition training for doctorsRaising
4. Calories to food qualityRaising
5. One person accountableRaising
6. Eatwell Guide reviewRaising
7. Public money for real foodRaising

Each ask moves through five stages: Raising, In discussion, Consultation, Committed, Delivered.

Add your voice

Back the seven asks

Add your name to show decision makers that prevention has public support. Back all seven, or choose the one that matters most to you. Healthcare professionals can sign as clinicians.

Add your name

So we can tell your MP how many local people back the asks.

Next steps

For journalists

Press and interviews

Briefings, figures and spokespeople on any of the seven asks.

Media contact

Fund it

Support the campaign

A general gift helps fund our campaigning alongside our programmes.

Donate (opens JustGiving in a new tab)