Health leaders call for emergency action on childhood obesity

The government has been urged to take urgent action to tackle what has been described as a 'rising epidemic' of childhood obesity.

An open letter has been sent by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and 11 partner organisations to the chief medical officer of England, calling for a national child obesity action group to be set up as a matter of urgency.

This would involve collaboration between doctors, nurses, midwives, dieticians, dentists and schools, aiming to balance existing prevention approaches with better obesity treatment services for young people.

Other recommended measures include support for the National Child Measurement Programme, improved investment in data-gathering IT programmes for weight management and more training in malnutrition and obesity for GPs and other health professionals.

Dr Rachel Pryke, the RCGP's clinical lead for nutrition, said: "As parents and health professionals, we need to take responsibility and ensure that every child has a healthy and varied diet and regular exercise."

Obesity is estimated to affect around one in every four adults and around one in every five children aged ten to 11 in the UK.