New LGA report highlights costs associated with fighting obesity

Local authorities anticipate having spent 505 million pounds tackling obesity in adults and children following the transfer of public health responsibility in April 2013.

Since taking over direct control of public health from the NHS three years ago, the Local Government Association (LGA) have been spending extensively on prevention work as they seek to tackle a mounting obesity crisis.

However, recent cuts by the government to public health grants are now threatening to undermine these efforts, with councils saying they expect to spend 127 million pounds tackling obesity in 2016-17 – down on the 140 million estimated in 2015-16.

As such, the overall cost to the economy of obesity and overweight conditions could increase from between six to eight billion in 2015 to between ten and 12 billion by 2030, especially given the rate at which childhood obesity is spreading.

The LGA has previously called on the government to bring in measures to reduce sugar content in fizzy drinks, to provide better labelling on sugary products, to offer tap water in schools and restaurants, and to give councils powers to ban junk food advertising near schools.

Izzi Seccombe, the LGA's community wellbeing portfolio holder, said: "We would like assurances from the government's new administration that the long-awaited childhood obesity strategy is still on track and that it includes tough measures that will help to reverse the rise in costs and children becoming obese."