Government’s childhood obesity plan does not go far enough, say MPs

To tackle childhood obesity the government must regulate to reduce the impact of deep discounting and price promotions of unhealthy food and drink, says the House of Commons Health Committee.1

The committee’s report criticises the government’s childhood obesity plan for England, which was published last August amid accusations that it had been watered down.23 Although the committee welcomed the government’s measures in the plan, it was disappointed that several key areas for action were missing.

Sarah Wollaston, chair of the health committee, said, “Vague statements about seeing how the current plan turns out are inadequate for the seriousness and urgency of this major public health …