Accompanying press release: Growing Up Healthy – Prioritising Nutrition for the Next Generation
1st May 2025
To the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,
On behalf of over 40 leading health organisations, we are writing to share our deep concern about the current state of food and drink available to babies, children and adolescents in the UK. The nutritional well-being of our youngest citizens has been neglected for too long, and we urge your government to take bold and immediate action to put this right. Every child deserves access to healthy, nourishing food that supports their growth, development, and long-term health.
Without urgent intervention, we face the very real prospect of a generation growing up with worse health outcomes than their parents.
As highlighted in the BBC Panorama investigation ‘The Truth About Baby Food Pouches’ (aired 28 April 2025),[1] babies and toddlers are not spared from the influence of the commercial food industry. Government data shows that more children transition from a healthy weight to overweight or obesity between Reception and Year 6 than vice versa—particularly in the most deprived areas[1]. This stark reality highlights how difficult obesity is to reverse and reinforces the need to act from the earliest stages of life. The rise in childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and diet-related conditions like dental decay is not just harming children’s immediate health and school readiness but also placing an unsustainable burden on the NHS.
We welcome your ambition to create the healthiest generation of children ever and commend you for fulfilling your manifesto commitments—including restrictions on unhealthy food and drink advertising on TV before 9pm, online at any time, the forthcoming ban on multibuy promotions from 1st October 2025, and measures to prevent new hot food takeaways from opening near school gates. However, despite these positive steps, children will still face relentless exposure to unhealthy food at every stage of their development as follows:
- In infancy, parents of babies are marketed with follow-on formula milks that offer no proven nutritional benefits yet are promoted in ways that undermine their informed decision making on infant feeding.
- As babies and toddlers, they are pushed towards commercial baby foods and growing-up formula milks that do not align with public health guidance—often high in sugar, featuring misleading health claims, and benefiting from the health halo of being sold in the ‘baby aisle’.
- In schools and nurseries, many do not receive a healthy meal that meets government standards and are bombarded with promotions for highly processed and fast food throughout their day.
- As adolescents, they are relentlessly targeted by companies selling fast food, high-sugar milkshakes, and high-caffeine energy drinks impacting both their health and their school attainment.
New polling shows the public strongly support bold government intervention with 75% supporting a ban on high sugar baby foods.[1] To truly prioritise children’s health and wellbeing, we urge you to build on existing policies to include:
- End junk food advertising
Strengthen and expand current regulations to ensure children and parents of babies are not exposed to unhealthy food and drinks marketing – including commercial baby and toddler foods and drinks, and unnecessary formula milks —online, on TV, outdoors, or through packaging or placement in store. - Raise nutritional standards
Introduce robust, evidence-based nutritional standards for commercial baby and toddler food and drinks, including mandatory sugar limits, higher standards for early years settings, and enforce school food standards. - Ensure the right to healthy food for all
Expand and promote schemes like Healthy Start to ensure low-income families can access nutritious, affordable food. - Create healthier food environments
Support reformulation through mandatory targets, front-of-pack labelling including high sugar warning labels for baby and toddler foods, and fiscal measures that incentivise healthier food production.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss how to move forward with these essential steps. By acting now, you can help alleviate the burden on the NHS and lay the foundations for the healthiest generation of children ever.
We look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
Katharine Jenner, Director, Obesity Health Alliance
Dr Alison Tedstone, Independent Nutritionist
The Lord Filkin CBE
Colette Marshall, Chief Executive, Diabetes UK
Anna Taylor, Executive Director, The Food Foundation
James Toop, CEO, Bite Back
Kath Dalmeny, Chief Executive, Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming
Jonathan Pauling, Chief Executive, Alexandra Rose Charity
Eddie Crouch, Chair, British Dental Association
Dr Beckie Lang, Chief Executive, HENRY
Matthew Philpott, Executive Director, Health Equalities Group
Professor Maria Bryant, University of York
Sonia Pombo, Head of Impact and Research, Action on Salt
John Wass, Professor of Endocrinology, Oxford University
Michael Baber, Director, Health Action Research Group
William Roberts, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health
Dayna Brackley, Partner, Bremner & Co
Paul Wright, CEO, Alliance 4 Children
Liz Stockley, CEO British Dietetic Association
Dr Diane Threapleton, University of Leeds
Dr Vicky Sibson, First Steps Nutrition Trust
Dr Helen Stewart, Officer for Health Improvement, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Dr Adrian Brown, Chair of Obesity Specialist Group for the British Dietetic Association
Charlotte Gage, Co-Director, Adfree Cities
Dr Giota Mitrou, Executive Director of Research and Policy, World Cancer Research Fund
Karen Thomas, Registered Dietitian, British Dietetic Association Obesity Specialist Group Committee Member
Professor James Byrne, President, British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society
Rob Percival, Head of Policy – Food and Health, Soil Association
Jacquie Bance de Vasquez, Director of Policy and Engagement, Magic Breakfast
Kathy Lewis, Chair of The Caroline Walker Trust
Marjon Willers, Director, Health Education Trust
Nikita Sinclair, Head of Children’s Health and Food, Impact on Urban Health
Jill Clark, Chair of CancerWatch
Pamela Healy OBE, British Liver Trust
Alison Morton, CEO, Institute of Health Visiting
Professor Emilie Combet, President Elect, Association for the Study of Obesity
Fiona Ellwood, Chair, National Oral Health Promotion Group
Clare Faulkner, President, Society of British Dental Nurses
Professor David Strain, Chair of Board of Science, British Medical Association
Greg Fell, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health
Tracy Nicholls OBE FCPara, Chief Executive, College of Paramedics
Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Rights and Food Policy, Which?
Dr Kawther Hashem, Head of Impact and Research, Action on Sugar at Queen Mary University of London
Ali Morpeth, Co-Founder, Planeatary Alliance
[1] Panorama – The Truth about Baby Food Pouches – BBC iPlayer
[1] Public First Poll for ASH
To what extent do you support or oppose the following government actions aimed at reducing health problems associated with the consumption of unhealthy food and drinks?: Banning baby and infant foods that have a high amount of sugar or salt?
Total Support: 75%
Fieldwork: 21st Feb – 5th Mar 2025
Interview Method: Online Survey
Population represented: UK Adults
Sample size: 2010