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Action on Sugar

Health Committee: Child obesity follow-up report

27th March 2017

Government is missing important opportunities to tackle childhood obesity, says Health Committee in new follow up report published today.

Click here, for media coverage.

Chair of the Health Committee, Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, says “We are extremely disappointed that the Government has rejected a number of our recommendations. These omissions mean that the current plan misses important opportunities to tackle childhood obesity. Vague statements about seeing how the current plan turns out are inadequate to the seriousness and urgency of this major public health challenge. The Government must set clear goals for reducing overall levels of childhood obesity as well as goals for reducing the unacceptable and widening levels of inequality.”

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar says: "It has nearly been eight months since Theresa May pledged to look after the sick and poor as part of her commitment to tackle health inequalities. Now that Article 50 is set to be triggered on Wednesday, it is time for all of the evidence based actions required to tackle childhood obesity, as endorsed by the Health Select Committee, to be implemented immediately.

The government must mandate the sugar targets if the voluntary sugar reduction programme is not supported by the branded food industry, as requested by leading supermarkets and the British Retail Consortium.

The message is loud and clear – Theresa May must now put health inequality first on her list of burning injustices that need to be enforced without further delay."

The Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of over 30 organisations, says: “It’s reassuring to see the Committee reiterate the importance of tackling childhood obesity which has reached a devastating high. We agree that a range of actions are needed to protect our children’s health.”

“Current loopholes in junk food marketing restrictions leave children exposed to unhealthy food and drinks during the programmes they watch the most; so we especially welcome the Committee’s recommendations to extend these restrictions to include prime time TV shows. We look forward to seeing the government adopt further measures to help fight the obesity crisis.”

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