18 August, 2017
A statement reads: "Since the childhood obesity plan was published, retailers and manufacturers like Nestle, General Mills, Lucozade Ribena Suntory, Tesco, Waitrose, Kellogg's, Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer, Greggs, Starbucks and Breck's Food have announced they are, or already have, lowered the amount of sugar in their products".
A year after the launch of the government's childhood obesity strategy, Public Health England (PHE) said that it would begin tackling excess calories in the foods children consume most.
The public health body estimated adults in the United Kingdom consume 200-300 calories beyond their requirements each day, with children "following suit".
The kinds of foods likely to face scrutiny will include ready meals, pizzas, burgers, savoury snacks and sandwiches, PHE said.
So far efforts have focused on a sugar reduction programme, with an ambition to remove 20 per cent of the sugar from children's most-consumed foods by 2020.
Nicholls has questioned the Public Health England report and asked for further clarification.
Action on Sugar campaign director Katharine Jenner said: "We are pleased that PHE are launching a programme to tackle excess calorie consumption, which we hope will be ambitious".
The Department of Health has announced £5 million of funding for a new obesity policy research unit at University College London, tasked with investigating the deeper causes of childhood obesity and supporting delivery of the childhood obesity plan.
She said: "This new research unit will boost the ability of our country to put into place well-designed policies that actually work to reduce inequalities in obesity".
PHE said it will focus on reducing excess calories in a range of products in conjunction with the implementation of the soft drinks industry levy - known as the "sugar tax" - which will come into force next April. It will then consult with food manufacturers and health organisations on guidelines for the calorie-reduction plan, and timelines for targets. But more children are becoming obese and developing type 2 diabetes, and yet the food industry continues to pump out unhealthy, calorific food at cheap prices. "We know junk food adverts are very influential on children's eating habits yet manufacturers get a free pass to appeal specifically to children, even in schools", BMA board of science chair, Professor Dame Parveen Kumar, lamented.
