NHS Confederation - Tackling child obesity risks becoming “lost amidst reorganisation and delays”

9 Sep 2020 03:32 PM

Dr Layla McCay, director at the NHS Confederation, responded to the National Audit Office’s report on childhood obesity which found that it is not clear that the Department of Health & Social Care’s (DHSC) current programme will be able to make the step change needed in the timescale available 

“It is disappointing to hear that the Government’s latest attempt to tackle child obesity does not seem to be learning from the failures of past efforts. This is such an important moment for effective action, but it risks becoming lost amidst reorganisation and delays. At a time when obesity is in the spotlight for putting people with COVID-19 at greater risk of needing hospital admission or intensive care, it has never been clearer that an effective approach is needed to reduce obesity, which exacerbates health inequalities – and is estimated to cost the NHS £6.1 billion.

“We back the NAO’s recommendations that tackling child obesity needs to be a cross-government initiative and also that the Government should target funding to deprived areas where there is a particular risk of childhood obesity, empowering local leaders to take the right actions for their population.”

Childhood obesity