Researchers from the Behavioural Insights Team suggests that Britons are under-reporting their daily calorie consumption. This could be affecting policy maker who are trying to combat obesity.
This could explain rising obesity levels, despite decades of surveys saying people are eating less. Government statisticians say the way calorie data is collated will change.
‘Tracking snacks’
Several official surveys, including the National Diet and Nutrition Survey and the Living Costs and Food Survey, suggest the amount of food people eat and buy has gone down in recent decades – while obesity rates continue to rise.
But the researchers from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) say if the calorie counts in these surveys were correct, the UK population would be losing weight overall.
Can you lose weight without counting calories?
The BIT is an independent company but started its life in 2010 as a government policy group tasked with encouraging people into making better life choices.
See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36988065 for the full story