Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about action to address childhood obesity, including proposals to restrict junk food advertising.

I support the introduction of a 9pm watershed for foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) alongside wider measures to tackle childhood obesity, reduce health inequalities and improve the health and wellbeing of all children.

England has one of the worst childhood obesity rates in Western Europe and the gap between children from the most and least deprived backgrounds is rising. One in four children in Year 6 and one in seven children in Reception are obese. In 2019/20, there were over one million hospital admissions where obesity was a factor – a 618% compared to 2009/10.

The need to tackle obesity and to support people in so doing is crucial to the health and wellbeing of individuals and the nation. It is a growing challenge that exacerbates inequalities. Excess weight directly impacts how well—and how long a life—we live, carrying a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Childhood obesity leaves children susceptible to these major health problems in later life, but during childhood it is also associated with poor psychological and emotional health due to issues such as stigmatisation, bullying and low self-esteem.

Radically improving children’s health and wellbeing must be a priority.

I welcome proposals to ban junk food adverts pre-9pm watershed on TV, alongside a ban on paid-for adverts online. But I remain concerned that the Government has been too slow and too weak to tackle the rising prevalence of obesity; a decade of cuts to public health services has weakened efforts to support people to live healthier lives and exacerbated health inequalities.

Children’s health must be an urgent Government priority. I urge Ministers to reverse cuts to public health budgets, roll out weight management programmes to support people to live healthier lives, and create healthier food retail environments. We are amid a childhood obesity crisis and we need concerted action to bring obesity levels down.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP