Diet change could stop 70,000 dying

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That equates to more than 10% of the UK's current annual mortality rate.

The average adult currently eats too much salt, saturated fat and added sugar, research published by the Strategy Unit in the Cabinet Office says.

But people are still not eating enough fruit, vegetables, wholegrains or oily fish.

Bringing the nation's diet in line with nutritional guidelines would cut the number of deaths linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Boosting fruit and vegetable consumption to the recommended five pieces per day would have the biggest impact on the nation's health - potentially cutting 42,200 premature deaths each year, the report says.

Reducing daily salt intake from the average 9g to the recommended maximum of 6g could reduce the death toll by 20,200 annually.

And cutting excess saturated fat and sugar intakes could mean 7,000 deaths being avoided each year.

The interim report, called Food: An Analysis Of The Issues, says: "There can be few areas of public policy where the positive benefits to lives, health and well-being are potentially as dramatic as they could be in diet and nutrition.

"The potential benefits of changes to diets are huge, as are the issues to be tackled in effecting and sustaining long-term change."