Government Childhood Obesity Plan One Year on: End of Year Report says ‘some good progress but must try harder’

Leading health campaigners warn much more is needed to protect children from devastating risks of obesity

Despite some good progress, ‘must try harder’ is the assessment of the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) in a report card released today to mark one year since the launch of the Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan.

The OHA, which is made up of over 40 leading health charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups recognise the progress which has been made by the Government in the last year.

Singled out for praise is the introduction of the soft drinks industry levy, which has already led many drinks manufacturers to reduce sugar from their drinks, and the sugar reduction programme, led by Public Health England. Today’s announcement of a calorie reduction programme of work was also welcomed by the OHA.

But OHA warns that the current plan does not do enough to tackle the relentless exposure of children to junk food advertising on TV and online and will not be enough to significantly reduce levels of childhood obesity which is currently at a devastating all-time high.

Caroline Cerny, Alliance Lead, said: “Good progress has been made over the last year with strong measures to reduce sugar from foods and drink and we look forward to seeing ambitious targets for industry to make the food we eat less calorific. However, we can’t ignore the fact that the food industry continues to get away with bombarding children with adverts that we know encourage unhealthy food choices.

“The existing regulations are full of loopholes and don’t reflect the way children watch TV or online content. Failing to tackle this area is significantly undermining the impact of the Childhood Obesity Plan.  After one year, it is scraping along with a C grade, rather than topping the class with an A star.”

OHA Steering Group member, Professor John Wass said: “2016 marked the launch of the Government’s first comprehensive Childhood Obesity Plan. But 2016 was also the year childhood obesity rose to a new, ferocious high. As our children’s waistlines continue to increase, so do their chances of developing devastating diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and liver disease plus associated mental health problems.”

“The Government pitched this Obesity Plan as the start of the conversation. We agree this is just the start. The stronger elements of the plan are progressing well, but these alone are not enough. We now urgently need to resume that conversation, to give us the best chance of protecting our children’s future health.”

More than one in five children are already obese or overweight in their first year of primary school, rising to over one in three by the time they leave. The OHA demands that the Government ensures that every child has the best possible start in life. Their current reluctance to combat junk food advertising is a major concern to public health campaigners. Parents and families must be enabled to make healthy food choices. Our children deserve to grow up in a healthier environment.

 Tackling Childhood Obesity: End of Year Report

The Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of over 40 health organisations, has marked the Government’s progress in tackling childhood obesity over the past year.

Overall in one year since the launch of the Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan, some progress has been made in tackling childhood obesity but there are immediate areas for improvement.

With one in three children overweight or obese, significantly more effort needs to be made to protect their future health.