London aims to halve number of obese school children

London’s Child Obesity Taskforce has set out the measures it will take to reduce the number of overweight children in the capital, and promote a healthy lifestyle, such as drinking plenty of water and being physically active.

The independent taskforce has set out 10 ambitions to enable this to happen, with calls to action including making water more appealing and available, increasing the number of ‘water-only’ schools, restricting takeaway and fast-food menus, and Ofsted placing a stronger emphasis on healthy diet and activity.

The taskforce has worked with lead partner Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity as well as Public Health England, The Association of Directors of Public Health London (ADPH London) and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services London (ADCS London) to create proposals to help halve the percentage of London’s primary school children who are overweight and reduce the gap between obesity rates in the richest and poorest areas of London by 2030.

‘Every Child A Healthy Weight – Ten Ambitions for London’ includes wide-ranging calls for action across all aspects of life in the capital, including the NHS, the government, London boroughs, the Mayor, schools and the food industry.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It’s shocking that our city has such high levels of child obesity and that our children’s health depends so much on who they are and where they live. We all have a role to play if we are to tackle this health crisis – so Londoners’ lives can be improved, reducing the burden on our over-stretched health and care service. That’s why I’ve already set out proposals cracking down on takeaways near schools and increasing the number of water fountains in the capital, overseen pioneering changes to the TfL advertising network, supported the Daily Mile and tackled inequalities through my Healthy Early Years London programme. London’s Child Obesity Taskforce’s report rightly calls for action right across the capital with everyone having a role to play in making the city healthier. I will carefully consider their report.”

The ten ambitions are as follows:

End child poverty
Support women to breastfeed for longer       
Skill up early years professionals   
Use child measurement to better support parents
Ensure all nurseries and schools are enabling health for life
Make free water available everywhere     
Create more active, playful streets and public spaces
Stop unhealthy marketing that influences what children eat
Transform fast-food business
Harness the power of investment to create good food