The COVID-19 pandemic is "precisely the moment" to look towards tackling the problem of obesity, according to a British campaigner.
Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum UK, says COVID-19 appears to have triggered an 'epiphany' in Boris Johnson - prompting a new focus on driving down obesity rates there.
However, he stressed that the plan announced by the British government today 'doesn't go far enough'.
The British government's new obesity strategy includes a ban on TV and online adverts for junk food before 9pm, as well as the end of 'buy one get one free' offers on unhealthy foods.
The move comes amid warnings that obesity is a very serious underlying condition for anybody who contracts COVID-19.
Mr Fry told Lunchtime Live that he welcomes the British government's strategy, but that more measures should have been taken.
He explained: "The seven measures which Johnson has announced today will not in themselves cure obesity. If he follows the strategy which was sent to him in October by the chief medical officer for England, which contains 49 measures... then I will be right behind him.
"Johnson has started well, but there's a lot more to do - within the next months he will find how important it is."
Boris Johnson himself ended up in intensive care due to COVID-19, and Mr Johnson himself today admitted he has 'struggled' with his weight
Mr Fry suggested the prime minister's own experiences may have prompted action.
He said: "The pandemic has caused this epiphany in Johnson, and Johnson being so close to death actually understands firsthand how it is... how his obesity might have affected his chance of staying alive.
"That is something you have to experience. I hope and I'm fairly sure he will keep to his objective, which is to halve obesity by 2030.
"What I fear is that other things will come along which will start to deflect his mind from that particular objective."
Call for caps on sugar, fat and salt levels
Mr Fry said officials should stand up to the food industry, to ensure actions are taken that benefits the public rather than a company's profits.
He pointed to the example of the sugar tax introduced in the UK, saying the industry decided to do something about it rather than pay money to the exchequer.
He observed: "We now have 28% less sugar in our drinks than we did in 2019 - and that can be replicated across the food industry as well.
"There should be limits - caps - on the amounts of sugar, fat and salt you can put into your product.
"The decision can be amicably decided between the government and the food industry... but once it's been decided, the government is going to stick to it."
Meanwhile, Professor Carel le Roux, obesity physician at St Vincent’s University Hospital, said obesity is one of the major diseases driving deaths in Ireland.
He told The Hard Shoulder: "We know obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for dying with COVID-19. We also know that with diabetes, heart disease and cancers that obesity is a major driver of disease.
"In Ireland, approximately a quarter of people have obesity as a disease - it is a massive problem for people living at the moment.
"We now think obesity is one of the most preventable and important drivers of unnecessary deaths."
Prof le Roux said the advertising industry may be a "soft target" for politicians - saying authorities instead need to think through this as a complex problem that demands multiple solutions.
