Over 70 health charities leaders, medical organisations and health professionals (including the British Medical Association, British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK) have signed and sent an open letter to the Prime Minister expressing their profound concern that measures to promote children’s health may be abandoned without evidence and without facing the scrutiny of Parliament.
This follows the Government’s recent review of its obesity strategy for England, which is understood to include plans to scrap the sugar levy on soft drinks and other measures to cut preventable illness such as the ban on TV advertising of junk food before 9pm. This is being done despite there being overwhelming evidence of the effectiveness of these policies, and with no evidence that they negatively impact the cost of living.
In fact, these policies directly link to the Government’s own priorities which are to increase productivity and growth, reduce pressure on the NHS and help with the cost of living.
A full copy of the letter can be found here.