The Government-sponsored study Tackling Obesities: Future Choices, published last week, said that obesity in Britain had gone from being unusual to being the norm, and that by 2050 the majority of adults would be obese, costing society £45.5bn per year.
The report blamed the obesity problem on biological instincts to stock up on food, combined with modern sedentary lifestyles and poor diets. Its recommendations included a focus on early intervention to establish appropriate child growth, healthy eating and activity habits.
In response to the report, public health minister Dawn Primarolo said, 'We have made progress with improved physical activity levels at school, healthier school food, clearer food labelling and tougher restrictions on advertising junk food to children. But we know that we need to go further and faster.'
However, Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said, 'The Government needs to reformulate policy from pre-conception onwards. Breastfeeding and weaning plays a part, and body mass index charts should be part of children's health records from the age of one, so parents can try to regulate their children's weight.'
Steve Alexander, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said, 'The Government needs to do much more in the area of early years nutrition. Investment in this area pales in comparison to that directed at school-age children, but by age five, eating habits are already established and the damage is done.'
Unite/Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association agreed that measures against obesity needed to start in the pre-school years and said at least 500 more school nurses were urgently required to offer support to young people on diet and nutritional issues.
FURTHER INFORMATION - Visit www.foresight.gov.uk/obesity to view the report.