Government responds to childhood obesity report

The government has issued its response to a report published today by the public accounts committee entitled Tackling Childhood Obesity.

Noting that the issue of childhood obesity is a complex one without any “easy” solutions, it noted that a range of action taken over the long term is necessary to address concerns raised in the paper.

It added that much of the evidence upon which the committee report is based was gathered two years ago, with the government claiming to have achieved much in this field since that time.

Caroline Flint, health minister, said: “This is the result of a highly coordinated approach. The obesity programme team works across the three main departments to ensure this approach.”

She added that the awareness of exercise and eating healthily had increased “significantly”, citing the success of the government’s five a day campaign relating to fruit and vegetables.

The government states that the issue of childhood obesity must be tackled in collaboration with the food and fitness industries, retailers and the public and third sectors to better target efforts in this area.

Global healthcare organisation Bupa estimates that up to 15 per cent of children in the UK can be classified as overweight or obese.