BHF comment
Prime Minister's obesity plan must deliver tangible results
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s imminent plans to address obesity in the UK, we have joined 46 other charities and researchers in supporting a letter urging the Prime Minister Boris Johnson to implement all outstanding recommendations previously committed to in Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of the Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan.
The letter was coordinated by Action on Sugar and Action on Salt and features the ‘Scorecard 2020: The road to preventing obesity’.
The scorecard uses a traffic light system to analyse the Government’s progress in implementing the three chapters of the Childhood Obesity Plan. The analysis found that many of the core recommendations aimed at improving the lives of both children and adults living with obesity - such as calorie reduction targets and clearer nutrition labels on food and drink products - have seen a disappointing lack of progress.
John Maingay, our Director of Policy and Influencing, said: “This analysis shows that while some progress has been made towards addressing childhood obesity, crucial measures have not yet been embraced by the Government.
“Most notably, we are concerned that the introduction of a 9pm watershed on junk food marketing is slipping through the net. This is a vital step in ensuring that we all live in an environment that supports our health. A complex issue needs a comprehensive approach. If this measure is not adopted, the Government’s strategy for reducing obesity will be significantly weakened as other measures will be undermined.
“The sad fact is that children with obesity are in turn more likely to have obesity as an adult, increasing their risk of a range of heart and circulatory diseases. Evidence shows that just a few minutes of junk food advertising can lead to children consuming extra calories, and consuming only a small number of excess calories on a regular basis is a key driver of obesity.
“The Prime Minister must now seize the moment and fix this public health crisis by implementing every measure in the Childhood Obesity Plan, including ensuring that children are not being inundated with junk food advertising.”
The health implications of obesity are far-reaching and can have devastating consequences. Children with obesity are more likely to become adults with obesity, which is a risk factor for a range of heart and circulatory diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
For the Prime Minister’s new obesity plan to be effective and change the health trajectory of future generations, a robust and joined up policy package is required, including the vital 9pm watershed to limit advertising and marketing of less healthy food across all media platforms, allowing families to see more of the products that are good for them.