Childhood obesity

Obesity costs the NHS £4.2 billion a year and without urgent and radical action, this will rise to £10 billion a year by 2050.

The UK is currently facing a childhood obesity epidemic, with almost 1 in 5 children leaving primary school obese
Only 1 in 5 parents say they received useful information or support from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)
Less than a third of children in England are achieving recommended activity levels
4 in 5 parents support introducing a daily hour of active ‘fun and play’ in primary schools
Three quarters of parents support stronger regulation of junk food advertising online
Sugary drinks account for 30% of 4-10 year olds’ daily sugar intake
A tax of 20p per litre could prevent or delay 200,000.

Reform or scrap the ‘fat letter’ to primary school parents
Introduce a daily hour of ‘fun and play’ in primary schools and measures to make walking and cycling safer for children
Restrict junk food advertising to children online and on social media
End junk food sponsorship of family and sporting events
Reformulation of food and drinks high in sugar, including introducing a ‘sugar tax’ on sugar-sweetened drinks
Improve training for health and other workers to offer advice to parents during pregnancy and early years cases of obesity in the UK.