This is supported by research evidence based on analyses of national surveys going back over twenty years. Two of the flagship government initiatives in this area are the change4life programme and the public health responsibility deal. In england, the proportion who were categorised as obese increased from. Social disparities in obesity persist, and have increased in some countries. The world health organizations definition of obesity is a body mass index bmi greater than or equal to 30 the bmi is the most used measure for adults in the uk. Its findings informed the government s healthy lives, healthy people.
Public health and the prevention of obesity advanced. The bda supports and welcomes the government s current childhood obesity strategy, published in august 2016. Healthy weight, healthy futures local government association. By many estimates, obesity has already surpassed smoking as the most pressing public health threat. November 2015 tackling the uks childhood obesity epidemic. The governments first childhood obesity plan was simply not good enough to address these challenges.
Obesity is a serious health concern for children living in the uk. Professor russell viner from the royal college of paediatrics shares his thoughts on the uk governments strategy to tackle the uks obesity epidemic. The uk is in the grip of an obesity epidemic, and it is not just limited to the adult population. The importance of action on obesity in 2011 the government published healthy lives, healthy people.
The former was established in light of the 2007 foresight report, from which the government of the day clearly established that an obesity problem existed in the uk. An update on the government s approach to tackling obesity 5 what this briefing is about 1 1obesity severely increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and heart and liver disease, and increases the probability of other longstanding illness. This longawaited plan which in its formative stages had been called a strategy had been eagerly awaited by. The government is committed to tackling obesity and is putting a range of levers in place to address the problem, including a soft drinks industry levy and reducing the amount of sugar and calories in foods. Improving awareness of the multiple causes of obesity could facilitate acceptance of policy action to reduce obesity prevalence. Healthy lives, healthy people a call to action on obesity in england.
The role of law in the control of obesity in england. Local government action to tackle childhood obesity publication february 2016 1. Future choices revealed worrying levels of obesity in the uk. Adult obesity health survey for england nhs digital. By august 2010, more pupils in primary 1, 2 and 3 provided with a free school lunch under local authority initiatives in accordance with the sg cosla complete. From doctors, health charities, and celebrities to the very industry it seeks to propitiate, the childhood obesity plan, published with as little noise as possible in the summer recess, has met with resounding criticism. A growing number of countries have adopted policies to prevent obesity from spreading further. Obesity rates are projected to increase further by 2030, and korea and switzerland are the countries where obesity rates are projected to increase at a faster pace. The barnett formula will be applied to spending on these new initiatives in the normal way.
Tackling the uks childhood obesity epidemic royal society for. Recommended community strategies and measurements to prevent obesity in the united states cdc pdf pdf 376kb contains 24 recommended obesity prevention strategies focusing on environmental and policy level change initiatives that can be implemented by local governments and school districts to promote healthy eating and active living. In contrast to the governments inconsistent efforts, the media have made strides in fighting obesity by repeatedly bringing public attention to some issues, such as sugarsweetened beverages effects on childrens health, causing the beverage industry to respond by emphasizing comparatively less harmful sports drinks and juices. Click export csv or ris to download the entire page or use the checkboxes to select a subset of records to download.
Obesity in adults is addressed through workplace activity. Results for government policies in tackling obesity in the uk 1 10 of 991 sorted by relevance date. Two formal government strategies on obesity in 2008 and 2011 drew together a range of actions and developed new initiatives to fill perceived gaps. With nearly a third of children aged 215 overweight or obese 32, tackling childhood obesity requires us all to take action. Obesity is the next major epidemiologic battle for physicians, public health experts, government officials, and the general population.
Obesity levels in england are significantly higher than in much of the rest of europe. The 3 most innovative government plans to tackle obesity. Uk governments childhood obesity strategy british dietetic. There is a great deal to support in the recently launched chapter 2 of the governments childhood obesity. Two formal government strategies on obesity in 2008 and 2011 drew. The obesity health alliance estimates that obesity and excess weight could be linked to 7. Obesity and inequities policies and interventions to reverse this trend should stem from multiple levels and sectors including better joinedup government action between the social, employment, education and health sectors as well as from retail, agriculture, transport, finance, and the private sector. However, to have a significant impact on obesity levels, it is clear that everybody needs to get involved. As a first major step towards tackling childhood obesity, we will be introducing a soft drinks industry levy across the uk. A number of errors have been identified in table 7.
This document updates the local government associations lga previous healthy weight, healthy futures. Making obesity everybodys business 5 contents executive summary 6 the story so far 7 obesity why does it matter. The bda supports and welcomes the governments current childhood obesity. This is the scottish governments position in negotiating the uks approach to nutrition labelling and the options for considering the best. The evolution of policy and actions to tackle obesity in e ngland. The national obesity summit brought together experts in obesity to explore factors leading to overweight and obesity and to identify and agree on priority areas for action for inclusion in the strategy. An update on the governments approach to tackling obesity 5 what this briefing is about 1 1obesity severely increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and heart and liver disease, and increases the probability of other longstanding illness. Obesity among adults, england 4 trends over time 4 age and gender differences 5 other inequalities 6 variation in different parts of england 7 map of excess weight among adults 8 2. It showcases the wide variety of ways, and different partners, that the sector is working with their. In view of this, the bda strongly recommends that the governments childhood obesity strategy should include initiatives to. Government initiatives to tackle the obesity epidemic. Making obesity everybodys business local government association. The costs of obesity the obesity health alliance is a coalition of over 40 leading charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups working together to share their expertise and support the government in tackling the complex issue of overweight and obesity in the.
Uk government wont step up to the plate on childhood obesity. The governments plan for action to significantly reduce childhood obesity by supporting healthier choices. Government to set clear goals for reducing overall levels of childhood obesity as well as goals for reducing the unacceptable and widening levels of inequality. Addressing childhood obesity will also reduce the huge financial costs that obesity places on us as a nation. Little over a year ago the government launched its childhood obesity plan.
The uk is in the grip of an obesity epidemic, and it is. Paragraph 14 the government welcomes the health select committees followup report on childhood obesity and its recognition of the progress made in shifting the market. Government initiatives to tackle the obesity epidemic 27 september, 2005 obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in the world who, 1998, caused when an individuals energy intake exceeds her or his expenditure for a prolonged period of time. The plan didnt measure up in many areas including price promotions, marketing and advertising, labelling, information, or giving local authorities stronger regulatory powers. Obesity only became an issue of potential government concern in the mid1970s when bray produced the fogarty reports in the united states 5 and we, in the united kingdom. This article examines aspects of the physical and cultural context of food consumption in england, and the evolution of government policy on obesity, as a background to an analysis of how law might play a role in obesity prevention. Government, industry, schools and the public sector all have a part to. Critically scotphn notes that this results in missing certain population groups e. Evidencebased information on government policies in tackling obesity in the uk from hundreds of trustworthy sources for health and social care. Declaration of interests from 20052007 i was the lead science advisor to the foresight obesity project. Public beliefs about the causes of obesity and attitudes.
Change4life is intended to provide the public with advice on healthy diets and physical activity. Crossgovernment obesity unit, department of health and department of. Public attitudes to reducing levels of overweight and. If the government is to be successful in its aim to reduce childhood obesity and improving health outcomes for young people, it will. An increasing number of local councils have developed healthier catering initiatives in recent years. The uk is currently facing a childhood obesity epidemic, with. The uk governments longanticipated response to the childhood obesity crisis disappointed everyone. A single 330ml can of a soft drink with added sugar which can contain as much as 35g of sugar, may instantly take a child over their maximum recommended daily intake of sugar. The errors also affect the corresponding table in the accompanying excel workbook. It is estimated that obesityrelated conditions are currently costing the nhs and therefore every uk tax payer. Tackling obesity has been a policy priority in england for more than 20 years. This chapter describes the key national campaigns in the uk and elsewhere that focus on reducing the prevalence of obesity. Obesity in children, england 9 map of obesity among 45 year olds 11 map of obesity among 1011 year olds 12 childhood obesity and deprivation 3. Mexico, for instance, has launched one of the most comprehensive government strategies to address the problem.
The public and business two of the flagship government initiatives in this area are the. The evidence to date suggests that workplace initiatives are more likely to be effective if. The manual for streets gives advice on effective street design that. In addition to campaigns that help prevent increases in obesity, the scottish government supports the counterweight programme an initiative to manage and treat overweight and obese patients in primary care. The evolution of policy and actions to tackle obesity in. Belief that overweight is caused by the food environment or genes both seen as outside individual control was associated with greater support for government policies to prevent and treat obesity. It is the same for both sexes and across all ages and as such provides the most useful populationlevel indicator of. April 6th marks the debut of the much deliberated, and heavily debated, implementation of what is now commonly known as the sugar tax. Public health england s mission is to protect and improve the nations health and to address inequalities through working with national and local government, the nhs, industry and the voluntary and community sector. Study was the request by the swedish governments health department for. Obesity levels in 15 yearolds 20052006 the uk government office for sciences foresight report has suggested that in the uk 9 out of 10. Government response to the house of commons health and social care select committee report on childhood obesity. Social inequalities in overweight and obesity are strong, especially among women. The scottish governments route map for obesity has pillars focusing on childhood and adult obesity.