This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2018/jun/24/obesity-crisis-demands-more-action-and-investment
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Obesity epidemic demands more action and investment to protect children | Obesity epidemic demands more action and investment to protect children |
| (6 months later) | |
| The government’s obesity strategy is a welcome step forward in tackling one of the leading causes of early death and blighted lives. After smoking, obesity is the single greatest cause of early deaths in the UK: some 30,000 people die early each year because of it. It results in more years of unhealthy life, diminishing the quality of life for people across the country. Obesity increases the prevalence of many physical and mental health issues, from heart disease to diabetes to cancer and depression. That’s why it’s so costly to the NHS – around £5.1bn each year and rising. And its wider costs to society are estimated to be over five times that amount. | The government’s obesity strategy is a welcome step forward in tackling one of the leading causes of early death and blighted lives. After smoking, obesity is the single greatest cause of early deaths in the UK: some 30,000 people die early each year because of it. It results in more years of unhealthy life, diminishing the quality of life for people across the country. Obesity increases the prevalence of many physical and mental health issues, from heart disease to diabetes to cancer and depression. That’s why it’s so costly to the NHS – around £5.1bn each year and rising. And its wider costs to society are estimated to be over five times that amount. |
| Supermarkets targeted in the battle against obesity | |
| In recent years, obesity rates for adults have plateaued, though they remain too high, having nearly doubled since the 1990s. But it is childhood obesity that has become the greatest cause for concern. For children in year six obesity rates have increased at a significant pace – around 5% a year for the past decade – so that now one in three children are obese by the time they leave primary school. The rate of childhood mental illness is accelerating and is both a cause and a symptom of the obesity crisis. We now recognise gaming addiction as a disorder: not only is it a problem in itself, it also means kids are sedentary rather than actively playing outdoors and so more likely to be obese. As a society, we urgently need to rethink how we raise our children. | In recent years, obesity rates for adults have plateaued, though they remain too high, having nearly doubled since the 1990s. But it is childhood obesity that has become the greatest cause for concern. For children in year six obesity rates have increased at a significant pace – around 5% a year for the past decade – so that now one in three children are obese by the time they leave primary school. The rate of childhood mental illness is accelerating and is both a cause and a symptom of the obesity crisis. We now recognise gaming addiction as a disorder: not only is it a problem in itself, it also means kids are sedentary rather than actively playing outdoors and so more likely to be obese. As a society, we urgently need to rethink how we raise our children. |
| The government’s new plan contains many welcome measures, drawing extensively from the 2014 Better Health for London report. But it does not go far enough to tackle this public health emergency. Last week my review of health and care with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) called for new measures to tackle the crisis. We called for the scope of the sugar tax to be broadened to more products, and for a minimum unit price for alcohol because more and more adults are getting a greater number of calories from what they drink as well as food. | The government’s new plan contains many welcome measures, drawing extensively from the 2014 Better Health for London report. But it does not go far enough to tackle this public health emergency. Last week my review of health and care with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) called for new measures to tackle the crisis. We called for the scope of the sugar tax to be broadened to more products, and for a minimum unit price for alcohol because more and more adults are getting a greater number of calories from what they drink as well as food. |
| We argue for fresh thinking to challenge the assumption that issues like obesity are a “disease of the will” and to encourage more support for people to make healthier choices. We need a much simpler system of labelling that helps people to make healthier choices, since our education system leaves a large number of adults not sufficiently numerate to track their calorie count. Local authorities should be given new powers to stop fast-food outlets opening near schools, to prevent them from selling high-calorie products to schoolchildren, and to ban junk food advertising near the school gates. | We argue for fresh thinking to challenge the assumption that issues like obesity are a “disease of the will” and to encourage more support for people to make healthier choices. We need a much simpler system of labelling that helps people to make healthier choices, since our education system leaves a large number of adults not sufficiently numerate to track their calorie count. Local authorities should be given new powers to stop fast-food outlets opening near schools, to prevent them from selling high-calorie products to schoolchildren, and to ban junk food advertising near the school gates. |
| Obesity is one of the most complex public health challenges that we face. It does not have a single cause. The reasons for it are wide-ranging. But above all, it is a social challenge. It is about education and social norms for eating and exercise. It is about how food companies formulate their products, how they are labelled and advertised, and how they are priced and displayed in shops. Work and school play a crucial role: more and more jobs are sedentary and kids are less and less likely to expend energy playing outdoors. The quality of our public spaces and transport systems makes an important difference too. | Obesity is one of the most complex public health challenges that we face. It does not have a single cause. The reasons for it are wide-ranging. But above all, it is a social challenge. It is about education and social norms for eating and exercise. It is about how food companies formulate their products, how they are labelled and advertised, and how they are priced and displayed in shops. Work and school play a crucial role: more and more jobs are sedentary and kids are less and less likely to expend energy playing outdoors. The quality of our public spaces and transport systems makes an important difference too. |
| We must remember that unhealthy behaviour today is costly tomorrow. The government’s plan to increase NHS spending by 3.4% a year is welcome, and came close to the 3.5% annual increases proposed by the IPPR. Yet public health was notably excluded. In health, funding needs to come as a package deal. Underinvest in public health and 3.5% increases for the NHS simply won’t be enough. Now is the time for more action and more investment – the quality and length of our children’s lives depend on it. | We must remember that unhealthy behaviour today is costly tomorrow. The government’s plan to increase NHS spending by 3.4% a year is welcome, and came close to the 3.5% annual increases proposed by the IPPR. Yet public health was notably excluded. In health, funding needs to come as a package deal. Underinvest in public health and 3.5% increases for the NHS simply won’t be enough. Now is the time for more action and more investment – the quality and length of our children’s lives depend on it. |
| Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham is an NHS surgeon and Chair of Surgery at Imperial College. His review “Better Health and Care for All” was published by the IPPR last week. | Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham is an NHS surgeon and Chair of Surgery at Imperial College. His review “Better Health and Care for All” was published by the IPPR last week. |
| Obesity | Obesity |
| The Observer | The Observer |
| NHS | NHS |
| Health | Health |
| Health policy | Health policy |
| analysis | analysis |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |