One year after the government announced
its second Childhood Obesity Plan,
Labour reveals that deadlines for four
of the six policy consultations have been missed.
The plan committed
to consult on six policies "by the end of 2018" as part of
efforts to
halve childhood obesity by
2030.
However, only two policy
consultations -
on energy drinks and calorie
labelling -
met that deadline. In addition,
the government is yet
to make any announcement or implement any new legislation as a
result of the consultations.
The UK has one of the
worst childhood obesity rates
in Western Europe, with around one third of children aged two to
15 overweight and obese, with rates highest in the most deprived
groups.
To help tackle
the childhood obesity crisis, the
next Labour
government will
restrict the sale of energy drinks to under
16s, introduce
a 9pm watershed for foods high in fat, salt and
sugar, and give local councils the funding
they desperately need to fulfil their vital public health
responsibilities.
MP, Labour's Shadow Minister
for Public Health, said:
"While the Health Secretary has been distracted by the
leadership contest and
his government’s
botched Brexit negotiations, it is our children who suffer
because of the
Conservatives’ snail’s
pace progress on
tackling childhood obesity.
"It does not take seven months to analyse the feedback from
a consultation and announce a policy; especially when it is a
policy that campaigners and Labour have been calling for and have
evidence to back up.
"One year on since
the plan was
published,
the government’s
so-called commitment
to childhood obesity remains
mere window
dressing. So
it is no surprise
that childhood obesity is still at
a record high.
"There is no silver bullet
to childhood obesity,
but the government
isn't taking any serious action to tackle the crisis this country
faces.
"That is why I am calling on
the government
to urgently implement policies that could help address
the childhood obesity crisis.
Our children cannot wait any longer."
Ends
Notes to editors
-
Childhood Obesity:
A Plan for
Action, Chapter 2 was
published on 25 June 2018
-
The consultation on the healthy start welfare food scheme
was confirmed to
be delayed until after Brexit
-
The consultation on energy drinks was open between
30 August and
21 November 2018.
The status remains at "analysing feedback"
-
The consultation on calorie labelling was open between
14 September and
7 December 2018. The status remains at
"analysing feedback"
-
The consultation on price promotions was open between
12 January and 6 April
2019. The status remains at "analysing feedback"
-
The consultation on advertising was open from
18 March to
10 June 2019. The status remains at
"analysing feedback"
-
The consultation on buying standards for food and
catering services closes
on 13 August
2019
-
Obesity is
twice as common among children living in the most deprived
areas as compared to children in the most privileged
areas. In
both age groups,
severe obesity is
four times higher in deprived areas
-
More than one in three children in Year Six in primary
schools are either overweight or obese - 34.3% in
2017/18
-
Analysis of Public Health England figures by the Local
Government Association has found one in 25 children aged 10 or
11 in England and Wales are severely obese - the equivalent of
over 22,000 pupils. This
means almost 60% more
children in their last year of primary school are classified as
"severely obese" than in their first year.
