Health experts’ call to tackle child obesity

Health experts are calling on the Government to increase its commitment to tackling obesity.

Research by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) found that eight out of 10 people support a ban on advertising unhealthy food to children on TV and online.

In December, the Government announced that it was delaying a ban on ‘junk food’ advertising before 9pm on TV–angering health and obesity campaigners.

The new YouGov survey of more than 2,000 people for the OBA found 79% support a TV ban of unhealthy food for children while 81% said the same about online.

The poll found 68% would support food firms being taxed for unhealthy foods if the money was spent on children's health programmes.

The OHA–which includes the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Association of Directors of Public Health, Diabetes UK, Cancer Research UK, the British Medical Association and the Faculty of Public Health, says, without action, obesity will "pile even more pressure on the NHS”.

Katharine Jenner, director of the OHA, said: "We have a simple request which is to put children's health first, address Britain's obesity crisis and redesign a broken food system that puts profit before health.”

A Department of Health spokeswoman said :" Obesity costs the NHS around£6.5bn a year and is the second biggest cause of cancer.

"We have introduced restrictions in supermarkets, calorie labelling on menus, and we will introduce restrictions banning advert son TV for foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar before 9pm, as well as adverts online."