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The newly released National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019\u20132023 makes for bleak reading. Once again, it confirms what many in the nutrition and food industry already fear: the UK\u2019s collective diet is failing on almost every front<\/a> that matters.<\/p>\n We\u2019re eating too much of the wrong things\u00a0\u2013 too much sugar<\/a>, salt, saturated fat\u00a0\u2013 and still not enough of the right things. But what should deeply concern policymakers, food industry leaders and health<\/a> professionals alike is how persistent and systemic our nutrient gaps have become.<\/p>\n In a country where more than 90% of adults fail to meet fibre targets, where intake of vitamins and minerals such as folate, iodine, and vitamin D continues to fall short, and where barely one in five people eat the recommended five portions of fruit<\/a> and veg a day, the warning lights are flashing.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just about what we\u2019re overeating, it\u2019s about what\u2019s missing entirely.\u00a0It\u2019s time for a new conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Limitations of 5 a day<\/p>\n The UK\u2019s 5 a day initiative was launched off the back of WHO guidance in the early 2000s<\/a>, rooted in strong evidence that diets high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals from plant foods protect against heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers.<\/p>\n In the two decades since, 5 a day has become one of the most recognised public health campaigns in the UK. It\u2019s a testament to its success that 93%\u00a0can quote the mantra, and many brands have rallied behind it.\u00a0But awareness has not translated into action.<\/p>\n According to this week\u2019s new NDNS, average adult fruit and veg intake is still only around 3.3 portions per day, with only 17% of adults achieving the full five. Among teenagers, the picture is worse, with just 9% reaching the target. Worse still, those numbers have declined in the last few years.<\/p>\n So where do we go from here?<\/p>\n Nutrient deficiency is a public health emergency<\/p>\n We need to face a difficult truth: our national diet is not just unhealthy because of what we overconsume\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s also deeply problematic because of the essential nutrients we lack.<\/p>\n This is where current food policy and communications fall short. We are too focused on calorie reduction, sugar reformulation and front-of-pack warnings\u00a0\u2013 important, yes\u00a0\u2013 but we\u2019re not investing enough attention in nutritional density. The Global Burden of Disease Study makes this point unequivocally: low intake of whole grains, fruit, vegetables<\/a>, nuts<\/a>, seeds, fibre, polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3s is responsible for more deaths globally than high intake of sugar or red meat<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the UK context, this means our food strategy needs rebalancing. It should be just as aggressive in driving inclusion of nutrients as it is in limiting harmful ingredients.<\/p>\n The GLP-1 era: why future food strategy must plan ahead<\/p>\n No discussion about the future of our food system is complete without acknowledging the seismic rise of GLP-1 medications<\/a> like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. Originally developed for diabetes management, these drugs are now reshaping the landscape of weight management\u00a0\u2013 and increasingly, the food industry itself.<\/p>\n This has serious implications for the next NDNS and for public health more broadly. While GLP-1s may support weight loss, they also suppress overall appetite, which means people are likely to eat less of everything<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0including the very nutrients we\u2019re already not getting enough of.<\/p>\n