A campaign is being launched across the East of England today to help tackle the so-called ‘calorie creep’.

One You from Public Health England will try to reduce the ‘creep’ which sees adults consume on average 200 to 300 more calories than they need every day.

According to figures from 2015/6 63.6% of adults are overweight or obese in Suffolk and 61.9% in Essex.

The campaign hopes to help people make healthier decisions by following a simple system when it comes to calories: 400-600-600.

That is, that people should aim to eat 400 calories for breakfast, 600 calories for lunch and 600 calories for dinner.

To do this, major retailers such as Greggs, McDonalds, Starbucks and Subway will be providing a range of options to help shoppers stick to the calorie guidelines.

Cllr Tony Goldson, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Health, said: “This latest campaign highlights the importance of making healthier choices.

“Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can improve both physical health and mental well-being. It is important that we work together with partners to support people to lead healthy and active lifestyles.

“As an overweight adult, reducing your body weight by just 5% can significantly reduce health risks.”

Dr Chris Rufford, local GP and clinical executive of NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We need to do something as a nation [about obsesity]. People dont not quite understand the link to cancer and type two diabetes – the latter of which takes up 10% of NHS funds.

“Anything to get people to eat less and eat properly is the way forward. Otherwise we will have an explosion of obesity related issues.”

He added that trying to engage retailers by encouraging them to reduce the calorie content of their products could also be a step in the right direction.

Dr Barbara Paterson, PHE East of England Deputy Director of Health and Wellbeing, said: “It’s clear that excess calories are driving weight gain for many. Busy lives and too much food mean we’re often eating more food than we realise – especially when we’re grabbing food out and about. This can have a significant impact on our waistlines and our health.

“The 400-600-600 tip can help people make healthier choices when eating and drinking on the go. It’s encouraging to see major high street companies promoting lower calorie options and we hope more will follow suit.”