Gavin Newlands MP challenges government over dropping childhood obesity targets
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has challenged the UK Government over dropping vital plans to tackle childhood obesity.
Earlier this year, the UK Government unveiled a Childhood Obesity strategy; however, this has been widely criticised by key stakeholders as being ‘weak’ and ‘representing a wasted opportunity’ to tackle the problem of childhood obesity.
Gavin Newlands challenged the government as to why they dropped a previous recommendation to introduce 9pm watershed to reduce the exposure of junk food advertising to children. This is call which is being supported by Cancer Research UK through their #JunkFreeTV campaign.
The UK Government estimates that nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 are overweight or obese.
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said:
“Childhood obesity is a serious issue which requires urgent and ambitious action from the UK Government. Obesity leads to serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. In addition, the economic costs are significant as last year obesity-related problems cost the NHS in England £5.1 billion.
“The Childhood Obesity Strategy fails lives up to the vision or promises that the UK government previously made.
“I challenged the government on dropping plans to ban advertisements for unhealthy foods before the 9pm watershed. This highlights the lack of vision and ambition that the UK government has in tackling the problem of childhood obesity.
“Helping to resolve this issue is not a party-political issue but we cannot allow the government to think small and leave this problem for a future generation to solve.”
