LGA responds to launch of Child Obesity Strategy

26 Jun 2018 09:14 AM

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responded to the launch of the Government’s latest Childhood Obesity Plan

“This latest plan is desperately needed if we are to seriously tackle the child obesity crisis this country is experiencing.

“With the UK already the most obese nation in western Europe and more than 22,000 children classed as severely obese when they leave primary school, urgent action is needed to prevent today’s obese children becoming tomorrow’s obese adults.

“We are pleased that the Government’s plan includes clearer food labelling, which the LGA has long-called for, plus measures to introduce mandatory calorie information on menus, improve food standards and physical activity in schools and the option to introduce further fiscal measures.

“A specific programme to help to support councils develop their existing powers is also good news.

“It is a bold ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030 but we remain determined to work with government on introducing further measures to address this crisis that are not included in the plan, including giving councils powers to ban junk food advertising near schools and the need for specialised support for obese and seriously obese children.

“Councils need to be properly resourced if they are to carry out their public health responsibilities effectively and this needs to be balanced against their already over-stretched budgets, otherwise the ill health consequences of obesity in our younger generation risks causing NHS costs to snowball.”

New measures announced to halve childhood obesity by 2030

Notes

Examples of councils’ work to tackle child obesity are available in the LGA’s updated publication, “Healthy weight, healthy futures”.