There has been some criticism over the Council’s new healthy eating scheme, which starts today, with opponents suggesting it is taking on too much of a nanny state role, and what people eat is a matter of personal choice.

The local authority has no role in dictating what people should and should not eat, it does have a role in improving the general health and wellbeing of the local populace, and this voluntary scheme – with the emphasis on voluntary – should help with that aim.

No one is going to be denied the choice of supersize portions or unhealthy food; what the scheme aims to do is ensure there are alternatives available, and everybody understands the importance of healthy eating.

An unhealthy diet causes up to 300 unnecessary deaths in the district from heart disease alone – that is 300 deaths that could be avoided by making healthier choices.

And that is before counting the many other people who develop one of the multitude of illnesses and health issues caused or exacerbated by poor diet, which include diabetes, certain cancers, and high blood pressure.

If a scheme like this can reduce even by a small amount the number of people who develop health problems as a result of their diet, then it is worthwhile.

It is a little ironic that the Council still sells less than healthy foods at its vending machines in sports centres as the scheme is being launched, and hopefully that is an issue that is being addressed.

Ultimately, as with smoking and drinking, what people eat is very much a matter of their own personal choice. The important thing is that those choices can be made in an informed and educated way, and hopefully this scheme will help people do that.