The food and drink industry has undertaken to reduce by 20% the amount of sugar in products such as cereals, desserts, yoghurts and sweets. Manufacturers that reduce sugar in their products will escape the sugar tax, which is not due to come in for two years.
But health experts have criticised the government’s childhood obesity strategy as weak and embarrassing, and accused policymakers of throwing away the best chance to tackle the culture of unhealthy eating that is crippling the NHS. The government’s measures are shorn of any restrictions on junk food marketing and advertising which Public Health England (PHE) said would have the most impact on the childhood obesity epidemic.
A third of children leaving primary school are overweight or obese and at risk of a lifetime of health problems including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The money accrued by the levy on sugary drinks will go to fund breakfast clubs and sport. Schools will be asked to give pupils an extra 30 minutes a day of physical activity, and parents and carers will be encouraged to get their children moving for a further 30 minutes.
We’d like you to share your thoughts on tackling childhood obesity. How do you manage your child’s intake of junk food? Should promotions of junk food in supermarkets, such as buy one get one free offers be banned? Or perhaps you know of some interesting initiatives to tackle childhood obesity where you live?
You can share your thoughts and experiences using the form below, and we’ll use a selection in our reporting.
