Ministers Want To Ban All Snacking On Trains And Buses To Tackle Obesity
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Food should be banned on public transport to tackle children obesity - that's according to the country's outgoing chief medical officer.
In her final report as CMO, Dame Sally Davies also proposed phasing out all adverts promoting junk food and placing extra taxes on unhealthy food to tackle the obesity epidemic.
"Today's children are drowning in a flood of unhealthy food and drink options, compounded by insufficient opportunities for being active," she wrote.
"I want to see our children's health, not companies' profits, put at the forefront of government policy. It is every child's right to live in a world that promotes, not harms, their health."
She added that families need more help to make healthier choices while she urged government ministers to be bold in their fight to reduce obesity.
"The unavoidable fact is that over time our environment has become very unhealthy without us realising," Dame Davies added.
"Our children are now suffering from painful, potentially life-limiting disease.
"Our politicians need to be bold and help everyone embrace healthier life choices."
The report follows shocking stats that show the proportion of obese and overweight children has doubled int he past 30 years.
In 2019, roughly a third of children are obese or overweight by the ages 11 and the problem is worse among girls.
Children living in the poorest areas are more than twice as likely to be obese than those those in the richest.
Alongside the report, released today (10th October), some shocking facts were shared to illustrate the problem on a more relatable scale.
For example, 62 per cent of fast food outlets in the UK are within a 400m radius of a primary school.
Each week 738 children - that's enough to fill 13 school buses - are admitted to hospital to have teeth removed due to decay.
Unhealthy foods are three times cheaper than healthy foods.
Did you know that portion sizes have increased dramatically since the 1990s and are thought to be encouraging people to eat more?
For instance, there's been a 53 per cent increase in average pizza sizes, and 50 per cent increase in packets of crisps.
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For NHS advice on childhood obesity, see here.