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Obesity is the 'new smoking' says NHS England's chief executive Obesity is 'the new smoking' says NHS England's chief executive
(about 2 hours later)
The chief executive of NHS England has said public health bodies and educators need to tackle overeating with the same ferocity as teen pregnancy and drink driving, labelling obesity “the new smoking”.The chief executive of NHS England has said public health bodies and educators need to tackle overeating with the same ferocity as teen pregnancy and drink driving, labelling obesity “the new smoking”.
Simon Stevens told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that obesity had become the key battle for public health, and that he hoped parents and teachers would do a similar amount to discourage consumption of sugar as was done with salt.Simon Stevens told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that obesity had become the key battle for public health, and that he hoped parents and teachers would do a similar amount to discourage consumption of sugar as was done with salt.
“We’ve done very well in terms of cutting smoking and teenage pregnancy and drink driving,” Stevens said. “But the new smoking is obesity. One in five cancer deaths is now caused by obesity.”“We’ve done very well in terms of cutting smoking and teenage pregnancy and drink driving,” Stevens said. “But the new smoking is obesity. One in five cancer deaths is now caused by obesity.”
Related: Nearly one in four British children overweight or obese, claims study
Stevens said he wanted to reach out to “responsible retailers, food producers [who] can smell the coffee here”.Stevens said he wanted to reach out to “responsible retailers, food producers [who] can smell the coffee here”.
“One in three of our teenagers are drinking high-energy, sugary drinks,” he said. “I do think we’re going to need reformulation to take sugar out of foods, in the same way that successfully that’s happened with salt.”“One in three of our teenagers are drinking high-energy, sugary drinks,” he said. “I do think we’re going to need reformulation to take sugar out of foods, in the same way that successfully that’s happened with salt.”
“If that doesn’t happen then, in effect, what we’re doing is a slow-burner food poisoning through all of this sugar that goes on to cause cancer, diabetes, heart disease.”“If that doesn’t happen then, in effect, what we’re doing is a slow-burner food poisoning through all of this sugar that goes on to cause cancer, diabetes, heart disease.”
Stevens stressed tackling obesity could only happen with parental co-operation. “It’s going to take all of us to play our part,” he said. “As parents, we’ve got responsibilities. When your children come home after school – it’s water, or milk, not fizzy drinks or juice. Cut-up apples not sugary bars. We’ve got responsibilities in schools.”Stevens stressed tackling obesity could only happen with parental co-operation. “It’s going to take all of us to play our part,” he said. “As parents, we’ve got responsibilities. When your children come home after school – it’s water, or milk, not fizzy drinks or juice. Cut-up apples not sugary bars. We’ve got responsibilities in schools.”
In a wide-ranging discussion, Stevens also raised concerns over rising agency fees for nursing staff. “We will have to clamp down on some of these staffing agencies who are, quite frankly, are ripping off the NHS,” he said. “Collectively, the NHS can take action here, and we will be doing that.” In a wide-ranging discussion, Stevens also raised concerns over rising agency fees for nursing staff. “We will have to clamp down on some of these staffing agencies who are, quite frankly, ripping off the NHS,” he said. “Collectively, the NHS can take action here, and we will be doing that.”
Stevens took over from David Nicholson in April last year, a year after the damning report into the care scandal at Mid-Staffordshire hospital. He said use of agency staff had meant “big overspending” by some hospitals which had needed to make dramatic increases to their nursing staff after recommendations in the review by Robert Francis QC.Stevens took over from David Nicholson in April last year, a year after the damning report into the care scandal at Mid-Staffordshire hospital. He said use of agency staff had meant “big overspending” by some hospitals which had needed to make dramatic increases to their nursing staff after recommendations in the review by Robert Francis QC.
“We’ve seen for example hospitals with big overspending on temporary staffing over the course of the last year, by £1.8bn,” he said. “We’ve got to tackle that. For the last few years, rightly, there has been a big focus on increasing nurse staffing in the NHS, particularly in the wake of the report [into Mid-Staffordshire]. “We’ve seen, for example, hospitals with big overspending on temporary staffing over the course of the last year, by £1.8bn,” he said. “We’ve got to tackle that. For the last few years, rightly, there has been a big focus on increasing nurse staffing in the NHS, particularly in the wake of the report [into Mid-Staffordshire].
“Obviously it takes three years to train a nurse so if you do this very quickly you end up relying on agency staff. What we have to do is convert that spending into good, paying, permanent jobs.”“Obviously it takes three years to train a nurse so if you do this very quickly you end up relying on agency staff. What we have to do is convert that spending into good, paying, permanent jobs.”