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This study develops a general method for modeling changes in response to items relating to students perceptions of personal finance and financial products. The new method is illustrated to analyze data from a sample of 1,250 students aged 16-18 who participated in a financial capability education study in the UK. We demonstrate how a quantitative indicator of the changes in students' responses can be applied in various educational research projects, particularly as a measure of program effectiveness. Predictions are based on prior survey responses, which are taken as relevant historical information for a cohort of students. We find significant changes in the responses of students toward reported career choice following the Financial Literacy Education course at national colleges in the UK.

Background Manufactured and out-of-home foods contribute to excessive calories and have a critical role in fueling the obesity epidemic. We propose a 20% fat reduction in these foods. Objectives To evaluate the potential impact of the proposed strategy on energy intake, obesity and related health outcomes in the population. Methods We used the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling program (NDNS RP) data to calculate fat and energy contributions from 46 manufactured and out-of-home food categories. We considered a gradual fat reduction—focusing on SFA—in these categories to achieve a 20% reduction in 5 years. We estimated the reduction in energy intake in the NDNS RP population and predicted the body weight reduction using a weight loss model. We scaled up the body weight reduction to the UK adult population. We estimated reductions in overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes cases. We calculated the reductions of LDL, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and stroke deaths that could be prevented from the SFA reduction. Results The selected categories contributed to 38.6% of the population's energy intake. By the end of the fifth year, our proposed strategy would reduce the mean energy intake by 67.6 kcal/d/person (95% CI: 66.1–68.8). The energy reduction would reduce the mean body weight by 2.7 kg (95% CI: 2.6–2.8). The obesity prevalence would be reduced by 5.3% and the overweight prevalence by 1.5%, corresponding to 3.5 and 1 million cases of obesity and overweight, respectively, being reduced in the United Kingdom. The body weight reduction could prevent 183,000 (95% CI: 171,000–194,000) cases of type 2 diabetes over 2 decades. Energy from SFA would fall by 2.6%, lowering LDL by 0.13 mmol/L and preventing 87,560 IHD deaths (95% CI: 82,260–112,760) and 9520 stroke deaths (95% CI: 4400–14,660) over 20 years. Conclusions A modest fat reduction (particularly in SFA) in widely consumed foods would prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented in which the authors discuss the October 2021 announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would begin implementing short-term targets for sodium reduction. The article examines the United Kingdom's approach to voluntary sodium reduction and the health risks of excess sodium in diet including the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Objective: To study the salt and sugars content of breakfast cereals sold in the UK between 1992 and 2015.Design: Cross-sectional surveys on salt and sugars content collected from the nutrition information panel of breakfast cereals in 1992, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015.Setting: All major UK retailers operating at that moment in time (approximately ten).Subjects: The salt and sugars content was collected from product packaging and the nutrition information panels.Results: Cereals consistently surveyed across all five years (n22) showed a significant reduction in salt content of 47 % (P<0·001). Sugars content of breakfast cereals (n 15), however, did not show a significant change; 25·65 g/100 g in 1992 and 22·45 g/100 g in 2015 (P=0·170). There was a large variation in salt and sugars content between different categories and within the same type of category.Conclusions: The study shows the progressive reduction in salt content of breakfast cereals in the UK since 2004 as a result of the successful salt reduction programme, particularly the setting of incremental salt targets. Further reductions in salt content need to be made as cereals remain a major contributor to salt intake. Sugars content, however, has been consistently high due to the lack of a sugar reduction strategy. The research demonstrates that the sugars content of breakfast cereals in the UK is of concern, particularly in children's breakfast cereals, with a typical serving (30 g) containing a third of a 4-6-year-old's maximum daily recommendation (19 g/d) for free sugars intake in the UK. More can and should be done to reformulate, with an urgent need to set incremental sugar reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: Competing interests: We have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and declare that GAM is the chair of Blood Pressure UK and Consensus Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (CASSH). FJH is a member of CASSH. Neither receive any financial support from these organisations.

Plant-based meat (PBM) has been gaining popularity due to increasing concerns over health, animal welfare, and environmental issues linked to animal foods. This study aimed to compare the nutrient profile of PBM with equivalent meat products. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 207 PBM and 226 meat products available from 14 retailers in the UK. We extracted data on energy density, total and saturated fat, protein, fiber, and salt per 100 g from product packaging and calculated the nutrient profile of each product. Compared to meat, PBM had significantly lower energy density, total fat, saturated fat, protein, and significantly higher fiber. Salt content was significantly higher in five out of six PBM categories. Based on the UK's Nutrient Profiling Model, 14% of PBM and 40% of meat products were classified as "less healthy" ( p < 0.001). When considering the UK's front-of-pack labelling criteria 20% of the PBM and 46% of meat products were considered high in either total fat, saturated fat, or salt ( p < 0.001). Nearly three quarters of PBM products did not meet the current UK salt targets. PBM products have a better nutrient profile compared to meat equivalents. However, more progress is needed to reduce salt in these products.

Background: Marketing, including the use of cartoon animations on packaging, has been shown to influence the food children choose to eat. This paper aims to determine the nutritional quality of UK food and drink products featuring child-friendly characters on pack., Methods: A comprehensive cross-sectional survey of food and drink with packaging appealing to children available in the UK. Products were classified high in fat, salt and/or sugar (HFSS) according to the UK nutrient profiling model and guidance for front of pack nutrition labelling. Logistic regression was used to determine whether there was a significant relationship between nutritional quality of products, and animation type., Results: Over half (51%) of 532 products with animations on packaging were classified as HFSS. Food products featuring unlicensed characters were significantly more likely to be deemed HFSS than those with licensed characters, according to both the nutrient profiling model (odds ratio (OR) 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3 to 3.4) and front of pack nutrition labelling system (OR 2.3, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.4 to 3.7)., Conclusions: The use of cartoon characters on HFSS products is widespread. Policies to restrict the use of such marketing tactics should be considered to prevent children being targeted with unhealthy foods and drinks., Competing Interests: K.M.H., S.P.R. and Z.D. are employees of Consensus Action on Salt, Sugar & Health (CASSH), a non-profit charitable organisation. F.J.H. is a member of CASSH and its international branch World Action on Salt & Health (WASH) and does not receive any financial support from CASSH or WASH. G.A.M. is Chairman of Blood Pressure UK (BPUK), Chairman of CASSH and Chairman of WASH. BPUK, CASSH and WASH are non-profit charitable organisations. G.A.M. does not receive any financial support from any of these organisations.

Objective: To evaluate the changes in sugar and energy labelling of carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks after the implementation of a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland., Methods: We visited nine main supermarkets before (May 2014) and after (April 2018) the tax came into effect and obtained data from product packaging and nutrition information panels of carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks. We used the paired t -test to assess differences in sugar and energy content of the same products between 2014 and 2018., Findings: We obtained data from 166 products in 2014 and 464 products in 2018, of which 83 products were the same in both years. Large variations in stated sugar content were found between the different carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks in both 2014 and 2018 for all products and for the 83 products. The mean sugar content of the 83 products decreased by 42% between 2014 and 2018, from 9.1 g/100 mL (standard deviation, SD: 3.3) to 5.3 g/100 mL (SD: 3.5; P  < 0.001). The mean energy content decreased by 40%, from 38 kcal/100 mL (SD: 13) in 2014 to 23 kcal/100 mL (SD: 15) in 2018 ( P  < 0.001)., Conclusion: The significant decreases in the labelling of sugar and energy content of carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks after the levy came into effect suggest this tax has been effective. The sugar content of drinks still varied considerably in 2018, suggesting further reductions in sugar content of these drinks is possible. The levy thresholds should be reduced and the tax increased to drive further reformulation of soft drinks to reduce their sugar content., ((c) 2019 The authors; licensee World Health Organization.)

The study aimed to compare the sugar (1992, 2017) and energy (2017) content of chocolate confectionery available in the UK between 1992 and 2017 using cross-sectional surveys. All major UK retailers operating at the time were included. Sugar content in 1992 was obtained from a booklet and sugar and energy content from 2017 were collected from product packaging in-store. In 1992, the average sugar content of chocolate confectionery was 46.6 ± 10.3 g/100 g and in 2017 it was 47.3 ± 12.1 g/100 g. Sugar content ranged from 0.5 to 75.2 g/100g, with large variations between different categories of chocolate and within the same category of chocolate. There were 23 products found in both 1992 and 2017. The average sugar content per 100 g for these products was 44.6 ± 9.4 g in 1992 and 54.7 ± 6.3 g in 2017, representing a 23% increase in sugar content ( p < 0.001). The results show that the sugar content of chocolate confectionery has increased since 1992, which is concerning. However, they also suggest sugar levels can be reduced because (a) lower sugar versions of the same products existed in 1992 and (b) there is a large variation in sugar and energy content between different categories of chocolate and within the same category in 2017.

Cakes and biscuits contribute to energy, total and saturated fat and sugar in British diets. So far, the UK government has prompted manufacturers to reduce energy density in these products through a reduction of their sugar content. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of the fat content of cakes and biscuits available in nine UK supermarket chains. In cakes ( n = 381), the mean total fat content was 17.9 ± 5.2 g/100 g (39% of the overall energy); range (1.4-35.6 g/100 g) and the average saturated fat content in cakes was 5.9 ± 3.4 g/100 g (13% of the overall energy); range (0.3-20 g/100 g). In biscuits ( n = 481), the mean total fat content was 21.8 g ± 6.3 g/100 g (40% of the overall energy); range (0.7-38.9 g/100 g) and the average saturated fat content was 11.4 ± 4.9 g/100 g (23% of the overall energy); range (0.3-22.3 g/100 g). In both cakes and biscuits, total and saturated fat content was positively correlated with energy density. Our results show that cakes and biscuits sold in UK supermarkets are high in total and saturated fat, and that fat content contributes substantially to product energy density. Fat reformulation in these products would effectively reduce energy density, calorie intake and help prevent obesity. Fat reformulation should be implemented simultaneously with sugar reformulation and be focused on saturated fat, as this will have the additional effect of lowering LDL cholesterol., Competing Interests: F.J.H. is a member of Action on Salt (AOS) and its international branch Word Action on Salt and Health (WASH). F.J.H. does not receive any financial support from AOS and WASH. G.A.M. is Chairman of Blood Pressure UK (BPUK), WASH and Consensus Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (CASSH). K.M.H.’s role is funded by CASSH. All the other authors declare no competing interest

Context: Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dental caries are all major public health problems in the United Kingdom and contribute substantially to healthcare costs., Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of product reformulation measures on sugar intake and health outcomes., Data Sources: Using a combination of terms, the following databases were searched-The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE (Ovid), and Scopus. Additionally, multiple gray literature searches were undertaken., Data Extraction: A total of 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were 4 randomized controlled trials, 6 studies that modeled reformulation in a country, 5 studies that modeled a different approach of reformulation, and 1 study was both a modelling study of a different approach to reformulation and a retrospective observational study. The studies were assessed for risk of bias and overall quality of evidence was rated using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group (GRADE) framework., Results: Results from randomized controlled trials suggest that consumption of reformulated products can reduce sugar intake and body weight. The pooled estimates were -11.18% (95% confidence interval [CI], -19.95 to -2.41; P < 0.00001) for changes in percentage of sugar intake, -91.00 g/day (95%CI, -148.72 to -33.28; P< 0.00001) for changes in sugar intake in grams per day, and -1.04 kg (95%CI, -2.16 to -0.08; P= 0.0002) for changes in body weight. However, the quality of the evidence was very low. Results from the other studies suggested that reformulation can reduce sugar intake and improve health. Much of the evidence draws on modeling studies., Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that product reformulation to reduce sugar content could reduce sugar intake in individuals and thus improve population health. These findings provide an important starting point for ongoing work on sugar reformulation.

Objectives: To investigate the variation in sugar and energy content of cakes and biscuits available in the UK., Design: We carried out a cross-sectional survey in 2016 of 381 cakes and 481 biscuits available in nine main UK supermarkets., Methods: The sugar and energy content was collected from product packaging and nutrition labelling of cake and biscuit products., Results: The average sugar content in cakes and biscuits was 36.6±7.6 and 30.0±9.2 g/100 g, respectively. The mean energy content was 406±37 for cakes and 484±38 kcal/100 g for biscuits. There was a large variation in sugar and energy content between different cake and biscuit categories and within the same category. 97% of cakes and 74% of biscuits would receive a 'red' (high) label for sugar., Conclusions: This research makes available baseline data of the cakes and biscuits market in the UK for future evaluation of the recently launched sugar-reduction programme. The study showed that reductions in sugar and energy content of cakes and biscuits are possible, since there was a large variation in sugar and energy content between different cake and biscuit categories and within the same category. A reduction in sugar and energy content, and overall cake and biscuit consumption, can help reduce overall sugar and energy intake in the UK and thus reduce the risk of obesity and dental caries., Competing Interests: Competing interests: KMH and SAA are employees of Consensus Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (CASSH), a non-profit charitable organisation. FJH is a member of Action on Salt and its international branch World Action on Salt & Health (WASH) and does not receive any financial support from Action on Salt or WASH. GAM is Chairman of Blood Pressure UK (BPUK), Chairman of CASSH and Chairman of WASH. BPUK, CASSH and WASH are non-profit charitable organisations., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)