Sugar Tax

Further to the campaign for a tax on soft drinks in an attempt to combat the rise in childhood obesity, a report has been published by WHO which declares that taxing sugary drinks can lower consumption and reduce obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.

Can the Sugar Tax beat Child Obesity?

It was announced in this year's budget that the soft drinks industry would be levied with a sugar tax, to be implemented in April 2018, as part of efforts to combat child obesity. This was good news for Jamie Oliver and his campaign for an introduction of a tax on soft drinks; he has also produced his own strategy to help tackle childhood obesity. Sugar was first highlighted as a key cause for poor health back in 1972 by John Yudkin who wrote on this subject. Robert Lustig echoed the same theory in his lecture on sugar in 2009. This article aims to clarify why sugar is being blamed for a string of ailments including obesity.

Body Image

If any of you are researching children and body image, the resources mentioned here may help; this report by Central YMCA discusses the various challenges faced by young people in Britain today and highlights youngsters concerns about being considered too fat or not attractive enough; the report also highlights the influence that celebrities and the media have on young people and on this issue, the all-party parliamentary group on body image is hoping to push for legislation to ban underweight and under-age models; campaigners are calling for new laws for health standards health experts and a models' union in the fashion industry. 

The Dove Self Esteem Project provides a range of free curriculum-related resources and workshops for teachers working with children aged 11 to 14 years old, with an aim to raise self-esteem and body confidence. Face-to-face pupil or teacher workshops are delivered through Dove's charity partner, BEAT. 

Study: Child Obesity

A new study has revealed that Ireland and the UK have the highest rates of childhood obesity in Europe, putting us not far behind the US. It suggests that one of the reasons for this is the low level of breast-feeding in these countries and goes on to recommend that early intervention before a child's fifth birthday is crucial. 

The Guardian has set out evidence-based guidance for parents on how they can help prevent their child becoming obese.

Child Obesity

We have frequent enquiries regarding this topic so the resources on child obesity mentioned below may be useful for many of you. 

To start off with, here is a page of links to government reports, articles and websites, by the Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat). A number of publications and other resources can be found on the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) website; they are responsible for measuring the height and weight of around one million school children in England every year, providing a detailed picture of the prevalence of child obesity. 

Other recent studies claim that parents often fail to spot obesity in their children and that sometimes parenting strategies can be inconsistent with the concerns that parents have for their children's health.

Outdoor Play

Over the past decade, a growing movement has been steadily campaigning for children's outdoor play. The 2006 report, 'Tackling Child Obesity – First Steps' highlighted the health benefits of free play and the NCB set out the need for safe play environments in the New Charter for Children's Play. The national charity, Play England, explored the possibilities for joint working between the health and play sectors in their policy briefing.

These key documents acted as a springboard for schemes that have appeared around the UK over the last few years such as the Street Play project and the annual Outdoor Play Week in the South East.

Following the success of the London-based Hackney Play Streets project, councils across the UK are being urged to invest in street play initiatives. The recently published project evaluation report discusses the reach of the programme, its potential impact on children, families and communities, its impact on traffic and its sustainability and prospects for growth. 

Project Wild Thing grew out of David Bond's concern for his children's lack of outdoor activity.

The Self-appointed 'Marketing Director for Nature' began his own campaign, in a bid to reconnect children with the outdoors

.