Summary
IN THE PAST decade obesity has emerged as a hugely costly threat to public health on a scale comparable to that of smoking. More than three quarters of adults are now overweight or obese, with all that implies for their risk of suffering heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Yet Dr John Reid, the Health Secretary, is in danger of repeating the errors made by the Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell when she retreated into making excuses about the complex causes of the phenomenon rather than taking on the advertisers who push junk food at children, or indeed addressing the Government's own responsibilities in educating the next generation about its health. It is true that adults have to take responsibility for their own diets and exercise. The health consequences of letting children follow their parents' worst example will be disastrous. Now that children take less exercise and are increasingly driven to school where, despite Government promises, many of them lack playing fields and do too little sport, a healthy diet is more important than ever. At present, the messages children receive about eating habits are frankly deceptive. TV commercials that shows active, even athletic children eating junk food are not "honest", contrary to what the British Code of Advertising requires, because they do not state the truth that sweets, chocolate and fizzy drinks belong on the margins of a proper, balanced diet.
The food industry must accept the case for self-regulation of the powerful and potentially damaging messages it feeds to the next generation, or face statutory restrictions. The Government must ensure the curriculum includes essential information on diet, consider enforcing the minimum of three hours' sport or other exercise a week recommended by the Health Select Committee, stop schools from endorsing junk food marketing campaigns and ensure transport planners encourage make walking and cycling more attractive. Unless he takes urgent action, Dr Reid will fail to live up to his responsibilities to the next generation.See the full content of this document
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Health of the Next Generation
Travel promises
TRANSPORT is one of the few areas of policy over which the Mayor h...See the full content of this document
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