Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of childhood obesity levels in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; and what steps his Department is taking to tackle childhood obesity in each of those areas.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) collects data on children aged four to five years old (Reception) and 10 to 11 years old (Year 6). Data on obesity prevalence from the NCMP in the academic year 2021-22 is provided in the table below. Data is not available at Parliamentary constituency level but is available at local authority, regional and England levels.
Percentage of children living with obesity | ||
Area | Reception (%) | Year 6 (%) |
Coventry | 10.4 | 26.7 |
West Midlands | 11.3 | 26.2 |
England | 10.1 | 23.4 |
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support children and families to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. Local authorities can fund behavioural weight management services from their Public Health Grant.
In England, new regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online came into force on 1 October 2022. The location restrictions are the single most impactful obesity policy in reducing children’s calorie consumption, and are expected to accrue health benefits of over £57 billion and provide NHS savings of over £4 billion over the next 25 years.
We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices. We have seen important successes including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy decreasing by 46% between 2015 and 2020. There has also been success in some categories of the sugar reduction programme, including a 14.9% reduction of sugar in retailer- and manufacturer-branded breakfast cereals and a 13.5% reduction in yogurts and fromage frais.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on reducing rates of childhood obesity.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
New regulations on out-of-home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products in key selling locations in store and online came into force on 1 October 2022. The location restrictions are the single most impactful obesity policy for reducing children’s calorie consumption and are expected to accrue health benefits of over £57 billion and provide National Health Service savings of over £4 billion over the next 25 years.
We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices. We have seen important successes, including the average sugar content of drinks subject to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy decreasing by 46% between 2015 and 2020. There has also been success in some categories of the sugar reduction programme, including a 14.9% reduction of sugar in retailer- and manufacturer-branded breakfast cereals and a 13.5% reduction in yoghurts and fromage frais.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to provide people with access to (a) professional dietary (i) information and (ii) support and (b) weight control support.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We are delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. New Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the promotion by location of products high in fat, salt or sugar came into force in October 2022. We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices.
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. A two-year pilot backed by up to £40 million will explore ways to make National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved weight loss drugs accessible to patients living with obesity outside of hospital settings. This pilot, in conjunction with the obesity healthcare mission and its additional £20 million of Government research funding, will work together to create a continuum of support for the most promising technologies for the treatment of obesity and ensure the United Kingdom is a world-class location to trial, pilot and rollout innovation.
The Department will continue to work on cross Government strategies to help reduce inactivity levels in the population and help address health issues arising from weight related conditions. We are working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the new Sport Strategy, which will include reducing inactivity levels and provide support for access to physical activity. We are also working with the Department for Education on the School Sport and Activity Action Plan to encourage more physical activity in children and young people in and out of school and helping schools to become healthier places.
The Department has also worked on the Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme with Sport England and NHS Horizons to help embed physical activity into the healthcare system and help healthcare professionals provide physical activity advice to their patients in order to assist them with maintaining a healthy weight and the prevention and management of chronic conditions.
Our Better Health resources including free evidence-based apps and tools, support people to make and sustain changes to improve their health. These include the NHS Weight Loss app, Food Scanner App, ‘Couch to 5K’ and ‘Active 10’. Since Summer 2020, over 13 million positive actions have been taken a result of Better Health adult obesity campaigns, helping people eating more healthily and increase physical activity. The Department is also currently running ‘Better Health: Rewards in Wolverhampton’, a digital health incentives pilot that supports users to improve their physical activity and diet through financial incentives.
The Government encourages everyone to have a healthy balanced diet in line with the UK’s healthy eating model, the Eatwell Guide, which shows that foods high in saturated fat, salt or sugar should be eaten less often or in small amounts. The Government continues to promote the Eatwell Guide principles through the NHS.UK, Better Health and Healthier Families websites.
Our Major Conditions Strategy call for evidence, which closed 27 June, sought views on how the healthcare system can support people to live healthier lives, including supporting them to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help people change (a) diet and (b) exercise to (i) achieve and (ii) maintain healthy BMI.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We are delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. New Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the promotion by location of products high in fat, salt or sugar came into force in October 2022. We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices.
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. A two-year pilot backed by up to £40 million will explore ways to make National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved weight loss drugs accessible to patients living with obesity outside of hospital settings. This pilot, in conjunction with the obesity healthcare mission and its additional £20 million of Government research funding, will work together to create a continuum of support for the most promising technologies for the treatment of obesity and ensure the United Kingdom is a world-class location to trial, pilot and rollout innovation.
The Department will continue to work on cross Government strategies to help reduce inactivity levels in the population and help address health issues arising from weight related conditions. We are working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the new Sport Strategy, which will include reducing inactivity levels and provide support for access to physical activity. We are also working with the Department for Education on the School Sport and Activity Action Plan to encourage more physical activity in children and young people in and out of school and helping schools to become healthier places.
The Department has also worked on the Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme with Sport England and NHS Horizons to help embed physical activity into the healthcare system and help healthcare professionals provide physical activity advice to their patients in order to assist them with maintaining a healthy weight and the prevention and management of chronic conditions.
Our Better Health resources including free evidence-based apps and tools, support people to make and sustain changes to improve their health. These include the NHS Weight Loss app, Food Scanner App, ‘Couch to 5K’ and ‘Active 10’. Since Summer 2020, over 13 million positive actions have been taken a result of Better Health adult obesity campaigns, helping people eating more healthily and increase physical activity. The Department is also currently running ‘Better Health: Rewards in Wolverhampton’, a digital health incentives pilot that supports users to improve their physical activity and diet through financial incentives.
The Government encourages everyone to have a healthy balanced diet in line with the UK’s healthy eating model, the Eatwell Guide, which shows that foods high in saturated fat, salt or sugar should be eaten less often or in small amounts. The Government continues to promote the Eatwell Guide principles through the NHS.UK, Better Health and Healthier Families websites.
Our Major Conditions Strategy call for evidence, which closed 27 June, sought views on how the healthcare system can support people to live healthier lives, including supporting them to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle obesity-related ill health in adults.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
We are delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. New Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the promotion by location of products high in fat, salt or sugar came into force in October 2022. We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices.
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. A two-year pilot backed by up to £40 million will explore ways to make National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved weight loss drugs accessible to patients living with obesity outside of hospital settings. This pilot, in conjunction with the obesity healthcare mission and its additional £20 million of Government research funding, will work together to create a continuum of support for the most promising technologies for the treatment of obesity and ensure the United Kingdom is a world-class location to trial, pilot and rollout innovation.
The Department will continue to work on cross Government strategies to help reduce inactivity levels in the population and help address health issues arising from weight related conditions. We are working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the new Sport Strategy, which will include reducing inactivity levels and provide support for access to physical activity. We are also working with the Department for Education on the School Sport and Activity Action Plan to encourage more physical activity in children and young people in and out of school and helping schools to become healthier places.
The Department has also worked on the Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme with Sport England and NHS Horizons to help embed physical activity into the healthcare system and help healthcare professionals provide physical activity advice to their patients in order to assist them with maintaining a healthy weight and the prevention and management of chronic conditions.
Our Better Health resources including free evidence-based apps and tools, support people to make and sustain changes to improve their health. These include the NHS Weight Loss app, Food Scanner App, ‘Couch to 5K’ and ‘Active 10’. Since Summer 2020, over 13 million positive actions have been taken a result of Better Health adult obesity campaigns, helping people eating more healthily and increase physical activity. The Department is also currently running ‘Better Health: Rewards in Wolverhampton’, a digital health incentives pilot that supports users to improve their physical activity and diet through financial incentives.
The Government encourages everyone to have a healthy balanced diet in line with the UK’s healthy eating model, the Eatwell Guide, which shows that foods high in saturated fat, salt or sugar should be eaten less often or in small amounts. The Government continues to promote the Eatwell Guide principles through the NHS.UK, Better Health and Healthier Families websites.
Our Major Conditions Strategy call for evidence, which closed 27 June, sought views on how the healthcare system can support people to live healthier lives, including supporting them to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 January 2023 to Question 119899.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding a programme to provide wearable fitness trackers for children and young people who are obese (a) from areas of deprivation and (b) nationally.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
No specific assessment has been made.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential effects on health of increasing the School Food Standards minimum requirement of one portion of vegetables or salad per day; and whether she has plans to review the School Food Standards.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Obesity is a complex problem caused by many factors. The Department of Health and Social Care launched ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July 2020. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity and takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including the ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030.
The Department for Education (the Department) wants pupils to be healthy and well nourished and encourages a healthy balanced diet and healthy life choices through school funding, legislation, and guidance. The Standards for school food are set out in The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. They are designed to ensure that schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options, and to ensure that pupils get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day.
The Department has committed to support schools to improve their sustainable practices on food. Schools can voluntarily follow the Department’s buying standards, which include advice about sustainable sourcing. The Department also recognises the importance of plant based foods from a health and environmental point of view. The School Food Standards already allow schools the freedom to provide plant based meals as needed.
The School Food Standards ensure the right foods are available for pupils every day. Schools are required to provide one or more portions of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment. One or more portions of fruit must be provided every day and at least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week. My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, have not met on this matter.
The Department believes that the current standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure that pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food, that builds healthy eating habits for life. The Department is keeping the standards under review.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she made of the potential impact of the School Food Standards on (a) children’s health and childhood obesity and (b) the Government’s net zero carbon strategy.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Obesity is a complex problem caused by many factors. The Department of Health and Social Care launched ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July 2020. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity and takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including the ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030.
The Department for Education (the Department) wants pupils to be healthy and well nourished and encourages a healthy balanced diet and healthy life choices through school funding, legislation, and guidance. The Standards for school food are set out in The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. They are designed to ensure that schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options, and to ensure that pupils get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day.
The Department has committed to support schools to improve their sustainable practices on food. Schools can voluntarily follow the Department’s buying standards, which include advice about sustainable sourcing. The Department also recognises the importance of plant based foods from a health and environmental point of view. The School Food Standards already allow schools the freedom to provide plant based meals as needed.
The School Food Standards ensure the right foods are available for pupils every day. Schools are required to provide one or more portions of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment. One or more portions of fruit must be provided every day and at least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week. My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, have not met on this matter.
The Department believes that the current standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure that pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food, that builds healthy eating habits for life. The Department is keeping the standards under review.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the health impacts of ultra-processed foods on children and families with low incomes.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government encourages everyone to have a healthy, balanced diet in line with the United Kingdom’s healthy eating model, the Eatwell Guide, which shows that foods high in fat, salt or sugar should be eaten less often or in small amounts. UK Government dietary guidelines are based on recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). SACN is currently carrying out a scoping review of the evidence on processed foods and health and aims to publish its initial assessment in the summer of 2023.
There is currently no universally agreed definition of ultra-processed foods. However, a diet high in foods classified as processed is often high in calories, salt, saturated fat and sugar and low in fibre, fruit and vegetables, which is associated with an increased risk of obesity and developing chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
We have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on improving health and wellbeing, including measures to improve diets. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, salt or sugar in key selling locations in store and online came into force on 1 October 2022. We are also working with the food industry to make further progress on reformulation and ensure it is easier for people to make healthier choices. There have been no discussions with NHS England on the introduction of dietary guidelines on ultra-processed foods.