11th May, 2020, Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum hosted a conference, Children's food and nutrition in England - next steps for policy and industry practice on obesity prevention, innovation, and tackling inequalities, looking at how the government are performing on their commitment to halve childhood obesity by 2030. 

Areas which have seen substantial progress are the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) and sugar/calorie reduction, or the Sugar Tax as it is more often referred to.  A report from Public Health England (PHE) last year showed a 23% reduction of sugar in available soft drinks, and the SDIL provided an £11.8m boost to expand the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), which was announced in January 2020.

However, there has been little to no progress with addressing health inequalities for children:

"It seems we have a long way to go.  The data shows a widening of the gap between the most and least deprived."

Dr Maria Bryant, Associate Professor of Diet and Obesity, University of Leeds and Chair of The Association for the Study of Obesity

An area of difficulty with the government's plan for action is that, while it meets the needs of the 9 million children who have a healthy weight, it does not support the 4 million children who are overweight, obese, or at high risk.

Professor Paul Gately, Professor of Exercise and Obesity, Leeds Beckett University and Chief Executive, MoreLife, commented that each chapter of the plan completely disregards the very well accepted principle that issues like obesity are incredibly complex, and suggested the problem can only be successfully addressed if we look at the systems that underpin that complexity, rather than investing in single, short-term interventions, which have shown not to be effective.

He went on to highlight that action by government that supports local government is, from his perspective, "woefully inadequate".  At a local level, governments are working hard to improve the health and wellbeing of their population, but this is not equalled in the government planning. Professor Gately revealed that there is a significant lack of support services for children needing treatment for obesity across the UK:

"Public Health England can't even document the support that is available locally, so treatment is very limited."

Professor Paul Gately, Professor of Exercise and Obesity, Leeds Beckett University and Chief Executive, MoreLife

Another difficulty with the government's plan of action, is how they are measuring the success of the plan.  The focus has been placed on process, rather than outcome.  What that means in practice is that a move towards reducing sugar in products counts as success, rather than actually reducing the sugar in products.

Obesity goes far beyond counting calories.  As outlined by Professor Maggie Rae, President, Faculty of Public Health, there are many complex factors that it relates to:

• Behaviour
• Environment
• Biology
• Physiology
• Our society and culture

Putting the responsibility on the individual has also proved unhelpful.  All young people should have the opportunity to live healthily, no matter where they live, and should not bear the burden of blame for their circumstances in an unequal system. 

"We have got to move beyond describing the problem and the obsession with obesity."

Professor Maggie Rae, President, Faculty of Public Health

The language being used to talk about obesity is problematic.  Professor Gately, who has worked with children struggling with obesity, said that their missing voice in this initiative needs to change.  There are an abundance of statistics and facts about how harmful and costly obesity is, but scant information exists that gives insight into the lives of children who are struggling with it on a daily basis.  Their voice and experiences matter and should inspire the language of the movement to empower behavioural change within communities and local government.

"Ask the children what language would best support them."

Dr Maria Bryant

Tim Baker, Head Teacher at Charlton Manor School in Greenwich, described how putting food at the heart of the curriculum had a positive impact in the children's education.  The school's Ofsted approved curriculum "Now We're Cooking! Delivering the National Curriculum through Food" has been very successful. The school is situated in one of London's most deprived boroughs, and yet students grow and sell food, assist with rearing chickens, learn through food, and cook the produce they have grown themselves. 

"Food is a great vehicle for driving the curriculum."

Tim Baker, Head Teacher, Charlton Manor Primary School

He highlighted how having such hands-on experience with food production gets kids excited and switched on about food.  They can see where it comes from and develop a greater understanding of conservation. Discover more about Charlton Manor here: www.chanrltonmanorprimary.co.uk

One of their biggest successes is their Secret Garden.  It was built on a derelict bit of land and designed by the students.  It's a place for them to meditate and explore science and food, expanding their vocabulary through lived experience in the process.  As Mr Baker rightly pointed out, "How can you extend your vocabulary if you haven't experienced it?"

"We know that schools aren't a cure for society's ills, but they are a great place to start."

Stephanie Wood, Founder / CEO, School Food Matters

Children spend 190 days a year at school, so providing healthy food during school hours to all children would be an extremely positive step forward.  But, to ensure a standard of provision in schools across the country, Ofsted would need to include food in their inspection regime.   Free school meals for all would remove the stigma for children who's family rely on the support that they provide, and it would greatly improve the health and wellbeing of children. 

Sharon Hodgson, MP, said that, "Not everyone is aware of the impact that poverty has on families." Professor Rae recalled a time she went to visit a family in temporary accommodation, and watched the mother turn tins of soup and baked beans on the radiator as it was the only facility she had to cook for the family.  Children are the most vulnerable group in our society and deserve action on a national, regional and local level, that is properly resourced and funded, to protect them.

"If we accept and understand what obesity being a disease of poverty means, we have to do something about it."

Sharon Hodgson, MP 

Post Contributor:

Caitriona Fitzsimons Digital Reporter