26 January 2007
Government attempts to tackle child obesity have involved much 'dithering and confusion' and 'little co-ordination', the Commons Public Accounts Committee has found.
Obesity poses 'serious health risks' and the cost to the NHS is £3.3bn a year and rising. Yet government departments have failed to communicate their messages to parents and children and do not know how they are progressing against their target to halt the increase in obesity of children under 11 by 2010.
Committee chair Edward Leigh said: 'A campaign aimed at parents, children and teachers is supposed to be launched this year, some three years after the target was set. When it finally appears, it must bring home to all the risks of being obese, and show that obese children can make small changes to their behaviour which help them lose weight.'
In its report Tackling child obesity – first steps, published on January 25, the PAC found a lack of communication between Whitehall departments and other agencies over the correct strategy. The government was 'still not clear' whether schools should inform parents that their children were overweight as there were fears that this would lead to bullying.
But the committee believes the health risks outweigh such concerns. It urged the government to give parents the information, already routinely collected by primary schools. 'To do otherwise would be to keep parents in the dark about possible serious health risks to their children,' said Leigh.
The committee also suggested that the government should 'badge' food and drink companies that do the most to tackle obesity and appoint a champion to lead activity.
The report coincided with the Department of Health's announcement that children in 250 schools would be given pedometers to encourage them to exercise.
PFjan2007
