Unhealthy diets cause 64,000 deaths a year in England. Supermarkets could cut obesity by 20% simply by prioritising healthier products. The opportunity, and the responsibility is significant.
ShareAction’s Healthy Markets coalition works to hold food companies accountable for their role in the global obesity crisis. EQ Investors (EQ) is a member, and the work is producing results.
The financial case for change is clear too. Tightening regulation, shifting consumer preferences, and the rise of obesity drugs are all eating into the sales and margins of companies that rely on unhealthy products. Food companies that don’t adapt face real risks to shareholder value.
When investors act together, companies respond. Coalitions representing billions in assets have already prompted meaningful changes at Tesco, Nestlé, and Unilever. Coordinated engagement works.
We are now pushing food manufacturers and supermarkets to adopt recognised health metrics and report transparently against them. This year, we will attend the Unilever and Tesco AGMs to put these questions directly to their boards.
Public health belongs on every board’s agenda. We intend to keep it there.