Government’s obesity strategy targets parents of children under 10

The government this week confirmed that it is to launch a £75m (€90m; $150m) social marketing campaign later this month, as part of its strategy to curb rising levels of obesity among children in England.

One in four 5 year olds in England is overweight or obese.

Will Cavendish, director of health and wellbeing at the Department of Health, made the announcement to delegates at a national conference on obesity in London on Tuesday 8 July. It was the largest such campaign of its kind to be launched, he said.

The move follows the publication of the Foresight Report in October last year, which concluded that on the basis of …