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Overweight and Obesity in Saudi Arabia
use of new ingredients. This was the case with NNS and will likely occur with the use of potassium salts and unsaturated fats as sodium and saturated fat substitutes, respectively. This means that the scientific community’s understanding of how the various combinations and doses of foods, ingredients, and chemicals we are exposed to affect our health over time is still evolving and growing. Researchers and regulatory agencies must be vigilant and thoughtful in establishing mechanisms with which to periodically assess and improve these regulations to ensure that they evolve with the food landscape to best protect people’s health.
APPLYING A SAUDI-SPECIFIC NPM FOR TRANSFORMING THE FOOD SYSTEM When a more complete policy package is implemented, much larger transformations to the food system can be realized. The subsection “Integrated Policies to Reduce the Intake of Unhealthy Foods in Saudi Arabia” discusses policies to reduce the intake of unhealthy foods in Saudi Arabia, followed by policies to increase the intake of healthy foods in “Integrated Policies to Increase the Intake of Healthy Foods in Saudi Arabia.” The subsection “The Importance of Coordinating and Sequencing Policies” provides an example of sequencing policies across the stages.
Integrated policies to reduce the intake of unhealthy foods in Saudi Arabia Given the current high prevalence of obesity and NCDs in Saudi Arabia, the first stage should use a Saudi-specific NPM as the basis for defining “unhealthy” foods and beverages to discourage (figure 8.6). Several policies and activities can then be operationalized using this NPM. Together these can work effectively to reduce the desirability, availability, and accessibility of unhealthy foods. Given that Saudi Arabia already taxes SSBs, it would be logical to implement an FOP warning label system to inform consumers when products exceed NPM thresholds. The design of the FOP label should be based on consumer focus group testing, followed by experimental approaches, such as randomized controlled trials or cross-over designs, to ensure that the labels are visible and salient as well as simple and easy to understand across a wide spectrum of people in Saudi Arabia. Ideally, the label or labels should leverage automatic associations through symbols or icons, shapes, and colors to help consumers interpret nutrition information quickly and accurately; they should also integrate informational and emotional messaging so that consumers will be discouraged from purchasing and consuming unhealthy products (Clarke et al. 2020; Hammond 2011). The formation of an independent expert committee, such as the Saudi National Nutrition Committee, with no commercial interests that can guide and advise on the process and assess findings will ensure the integrity of the work. The FOPL can also serve as a visual guide for advertising agencies, distributors, retailers, and institutions to help them comply with several policies around marketing restrictions, tax liability, food vending and procurement, and sponsorships. Additionally, a warning-type FOPL will induce manufacturers to lower
