New figures from PHE’s National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) show the number of obese children in reception year has risen for the second consecutive year – to 9.6% in the 2016 to 2017 school year, up to 9.3% in 2015 to 2016.
The report underlines the importance of PHE’s work to tackle obesity. This includes working with the food industry to reduce sugar and calories in the foods children eat the most.
Dr Alison Tedstone, Chief Nutritionist at PHE said: “Children deserve a healthy future and these figures are a reminder that addressing childhood obesity requires urgent action.
“There is no single solution to reverse what’s been decades in the making. We need sustained actions to tackle poor diets and excess calorie intakes. We’re working with industry to make food healthier, we’ve produced guidance for councils on planning healthier towns and we’ve delivered campaigns encouraging people to choose healthier food and lead healthier lives.”
With the government’s Childhood Obesity Plan published a year ago, significant steps are already being taken to help children avoid a lifetime of poor health.
In addition to PHE’s work to reduce sugar and calories in food, the Soft Drinks Industry Levy has become law and will take effect from April 2018. Leading retailers and manufacturers have announced they are, or already have, lowered the amount of sugar in their products as a result of these programmes.
PHE’s Change4Life campaign is also helping millions of families to make healthier choices through meal swap suggestions and the Be Food Smart app, helping parents to identify the sugar, salt and fat in food. It also supports schools to help them embed healthier habits into everyday school life.