Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s - Green Paper

Aiming for quality, not just quantity

The Green Paper ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ offers the next opportunity to further galvanise a shift of focus from cure to prevention.

For decades Government and the NHS have prioritised caring for us when we are sick. This Green Paper signifies a shift from considering how long people live as being important, to an even more important measure being how long people live in good health.

Currently, affluent people are enjoying 19 more years in good health than those who are poor. This is not okay and is not inevitable. And whilst this Green Paper cannot deliver the entire 5 extra years of healthy, independent life the Government wants to achieve by 2035, the measures within it would make a positive difference.

Making the healthier choice the easier choice

Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges facing our country – competing with tobacco for the leading cause of premature death.

The Government is committing to further actions in the Green Paper. This includes building upon actions within Chapters 1 and 2 of the Childhood Obesity Plan as well as publishing a third chapter that will aim to tackle the root causes of obesity.

The opportunity is to support families by making the healthier choice the easier choice. This is why the reduction and reformulation work that PHE oversees on behalf of Government is so critical. The Green Paper will see this work extend further into baby food, helping parents to make the healthy choice for their children.

A PHE survey published last year shows around 9 in 10 people support the work Government is doing with the food industry to make food healthier. The commitment, leadership and creativity already shown by some companies proves that it is possible to drive healthier consumption while staying competitive. But there needs to be further and quicker action from everyone. The Green Paper can help us to achieve this.