Boris Johnson Gives Up ‘Late-Night Cheese’ to Lose 14 Pounds

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has dropped 14 pounds in weight after giving up “late-night cheese” and chocolate in a new healthy eating regime, his press secretary said.

Allegra Stratton told reporters Thursday that the premier was taking his new diet “very seriously” because he believes being overweight last year contributed to him ending up in intensive care with coronavirus.

In a video posted on Instagram, Johnson said he had lost “quite a lot” of weight by eating fewer carbohydrates and going for early-morning runs. “I feel much more energetic, I feel full of beans and I thoroughly, thoroughly recommend it,” he said.

Stratton said the premier also tried to make sure half his plate was full of vegetables, and was drinking less alcohol: “He certainly was offered a drink yesterday and said ‘No I’m not drinking at the moment’.”

Johnson’s weight loss was revealed as the government unveiled a 100 million pound ($140 million) package of policies to help tackle obesity, which increases a person’s risk of dying from Covid-19.

More than 70 million pounds will be for weight management services run through local authorities and the National Health Service that could enable as many as 700,000 adults to get help, the government said.

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