Britain

Free school meals are the key to tackle child obesity

Tuesday 15 December 2009

Health campaigners have called for universal free school meals and better access to playgrounds as key to fighting child obesity, amid warnings of an epidemic of the disease among working-class youngsters.

A study by University College London predicted that obesity levels among children in England will increase "considerably" by 2015 unless action is taken to reverse the trend.

They calculated that around one in 10 will be obese by that date, with rates up to 50 per cent higher among children from lower poorer backgrounds.

"This highlights the need for public health action to reverse recent trends and narrow social inequalities in health," the authors argued.

And they targeted aggressive promotion of cheap junk foods and lack of access to a healthy diet and exercise as the main cause of rising childhood obesity.

Geoff Martin of pressure group Health Emergency accused ministers of "sacrificing children's health for ready cash" by selling off local playing fields in deprived inner city areas.

Editorial

The message isn't changed

The report from Human Rights Watch on abuses carried out by some of the biggest companies in this country when they expand abroad should give any active trade unionist pause for thought.

Features

Heads they win, tails we lose?

Solomon Hughes

Looking at the present imperfect offering from the Labour Party and its potentially perilous impact on the future

Clearing a path for the privateers

David Bacon

How Iraq's unions are being attacked to allow giant oil companies to operate freely