Latest child obesity figures show government needs to begin a dialogue with experts
New figures from Slimming World’s charity partner, Cancer Research UK, show that 57,100 children are leaving primary school with an obese BMI.
Like Cancer Research UK, Slimming World is dismayed that junk food has been let off the hook in the government’s new childhood obesity strategy.
Ahead of the publication of the official strategy, Slimming World and the Royal Society for Public Health asked young people what they felt was causing child obesity and how the government should tackle it.
Around half blamed fast food takeaways and 25% had ordered a takeaway to their school – showing why tackling junk food is so important.
These latest figures once again highlight the scale of child obesity.
As well as banning fast food deliveries to schools, young people also called for measures such as a loyalty card that rewards healthy food choices and food packaging to contain nutrition information for the whole product, not per serving.
Jenny Caven, Head of External Affairs, said: “These latest figures once again highlight the scale of the child obesity problem.
“Being overweight can lead to many issues with physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing and the effects are magnified when it begins in childhood.
“In their recently published childhood obesity strategy, the government failed to recognise that obesity is a complex and multi-layered issue and failed to listen to the views of weight loss experts and young people themselves.
“We now call on the government to acknowledge that the publication of its new strategy is very much a starting point and that engaging with and listening to experts in the field of weight management and behaviour change is essential if we are to make a difference to our children’s current and future health and wellbeing.”
Slimming World was founded by Margaret Miles-Bramwell (OBE, FRSA) in 1969. There are now more than 18,000 groups held weekly across the UK and Republic of Ireland via a network of 4,000 community-based Slimming World Consultants, who receive specific training in the role of diet and physical activity in weight management, as well as sophisticated behaviour-change techniques.
Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, is based on the science of satiety and energy density. Our phased activity programme, Body Magic, eases members into activity until it becomes an intrinsic part of their daily routine. The principles behind Slimming World’s philosophy are based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by overweight people and a recognition that those who struggle with weight carry a double burden, the weight itself and a burden of guilt and shame about their weight. Slimming World’s programme integrates practical, up-to-date advice with a highly developed support system based on care and compassion, and Consultant training focuses on facilitating behaviour change in a warm and friendly group environment. Consultant training is delivered through the Slimming World Academy. Slimming World also invests in a comprehensive research programme to develop its support for long-term weight management. The group support provided by Slimming World is recognised as effective by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the NHS.
For more information about Slimming World’s approach visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000.
For the Press Office please email public.relations@slimmingworld.co.uk