Urgency needed to tackle childhood obesity

The National Audit Office has warned that it is not clear whether the Department of Health & Social Care’s plan to tackle rising childhood obesity will be able to make the step change needed in the timescale available.

In 2018/19, 9.7 per cent of four-to five-year-olds and 20.2 per cent of 10-to 11-year-olds in England were obese. Research indicates that children in deprived areas are twice as likely to be obese than those in less deprived areas, with the gap wider for the older age group.

The NAO also reports that obesity rates for children in different ethnic groups vary considerably, with just nine per cent of white children were classified as obese in 2018/19 at age four-to-five, compared with more than 15 per cent of black children. These rates increase to more than 18 per cent and nearly 29 per cent respectively by age 10-11.

The government estimates that the cost of obesity to the NHS is £6.1 billion and £27 billion to wider society. Although success governments have tried to tackle obesity, the NAO found that DHSC has not fully evaluated the success of past strategies, meaning it will struggle to prioritise actions or apply lessons to its new approach with confidence of success.

The spending watchdog also warns that there is limited awareness and co-ordination across departments of wider factors and activities that may impact on childhood obesity rates, such as sponsorship of sporting events by the food industry, which makes it difficult to ensure they are compatible with the overall aim of reducing childhood obesity.

The NAO recommends that by autumn 2021 ministers should introduce stronger procedures that allow DHSC to hold other departments responsible for delivering their elements of the Childhood Obesity Programme. In the proposed spending review, the government should target support and funding to local authorities and groups who have the greater obesity problems. DHSC should also provide greater support to local authorities to help them implement efforts to reduce childhood obesity.

Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: “Tackling childhood obesity is a major challenge, and one that governments have struggled with since the 2000s. It is clear that children living in deprived areas or from ethnic minorities are far more likely to be obese and the problem is worsening. Progress with the Childhood Obesity Programme has been slow and many commitments are not yet in place. The new strategy announced in July has signalled a greater intention to tackle obesity but the government will need to follow through with more urgency, commitment and cohesion if it is to address this severe risk to people’s health.”

Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Childhood obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges we face and this report is another stark reminder of the urgent need for radical action to combat this. Councils are already working hard to help their communities live healthier and more active lives, including initiatives such as healthy food schemes in schools and nurseries and specialised weight management services.

“Greater powers for councils are also needed to tackle the clustering of existing takeaways and restricting junk food advertising, alongside extra investment in other council-run programmes such as exercise referral schemes and offering free or reduced-cost sport, if we are to meet the Government’s ambition of halving childhood obesity by 2030. The forthcoming Spending Review is an opportunity to reverse the £700 million reduction in councils’ public health grant over the past five years. The grant should also be increased to match the growth in overall NHS funding to at least £3.9 billion a year by 2024/25.”