Part two of the Government’s childhood obesity plan has been announced, which hopes to halve the number of obese children by 2030.
The details have been unveiled by Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Building on the first chapter of the childhood obesity plan, the new measures include proposals to prevent stores from displaying unhealthy food at checkouts or including such items in buy-one-get-one-free deals.
The Department of Health and Social Care will also consult on introducing clear, consistent calorie labelling on menus in restaurants, cafés and takeaways, so parents can make an informed choice about what their families are eating.
The Government is calling on the food industry to recognise the harm that adverts for foods high in fat, sugar and salt can cause.
It will consult on introducing new TV and online advertising restrictions to prevent children from being targeted by what the Government considers to be unhealthy products, and to incentivise companies to reduce the sugar and calories in the products they sell.
This could include extending the current advertising watershed and considering limiting the number of unhealthy food adverts shown during children’s TV programmes up to 9pm.
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, said: “The cost of obesity – both on individual lives and our NHS – is too great to ignore. We are taking steps to ensure that by 2030, children from all backgrounds have the help they need for a healthier, more active start in life.”
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has responded to the plan, with Tim Rycroft, Food and Drink Federation (FDF) director of corporate affairs, saying: “FDF member companies are fully engaged with this programme which provides flexibility for manufacturers to decide how best to reduce sugar and calorie consumption amongst children
“Whether that is through changing recipes, limiting portion size or through promoting and advertising healthier options – this is something manufacturers have been doing for over a decade.
“The Government has come forward with a new raft of proposals centred on further industry regulation.
“If Government restricts our ability to advertise and promote new healthier options to shoppers, it could risk the success of the reformulation programme. Any further restrictions will have to pass stern tests around targeting and effectiveness.”
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