The UK government is under fire about its child obesity initiatives that critics say are not effective, slow moving and will not produce results. The critics further claim that the UK government is pandering to the interests of the food industry in an attempt to win votes and thus is not getting to heart of the problem.

It is likely that MP’s from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee will insist that an ‘obesity tsar’ should be appointed so that public health and childhood obesity can be safeguarded more effectively.

The MP’s argue that more guidelines need to be enacted to stop the food industry churning out unhealthy foods aimed at children. The also say that parents must be helped with guidelines and advice if they are going to be able to keep their children thin and healthy.

The UK government committed itself to beat child obesity 3 years ago and very little seems to have been done in that time according to the Committee’s Chairman. Three different government ministries were supposed to have been coordinating to beat obesity namely The Ministries of Health, Sport, and Education.

The UK government committed itself to beat child obesity 3 years ago and very little seems to have been done in that time according to the Committee’s Chairman. Three different government ministries were supposed to have been coordinating to beat obesity namely The Ministries of Health, Sport, and Education.
The figures in the UK show that from the period for ten years until 2004 the number of obese children rose by 3.5% to 13.4% and as well as putting a future burden on productivity for the nation has cost the NHS billions of pounds in extra healthcare costs. In the future the costs will rise as more and more people are admitted into hospital with obesity related heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Obesity is said to reduce the life of a person by on average 9 years.

Ukmedix strongly urges the UK government to put more effort and funds into a serious across the board campaign to get children thin and active and only if all the players work together can anything be achieved. In the future it makes sense to legislate so that fast food restaurants do not serve unhealthy food and some people also talk about a health tax on restaurants chains that churn out vast quantities of fatty, calorie-laden food with no co0ncern for the health of their customers.