Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Childhood Obesity

Tuesday 7 March 2023 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government has introduced calorie labelling for on-the-go food and a sugar tax to reduce childhood obesity.
  • Cooking and nutrition are part of the national curriculum from key stages 1 to 3 to teach children how to cook and eat healthily.
  • The Better Health: Rewards pilot in Wolverhampton is being closely monitored for lessons that could be applied broadly.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nicola Richards
NHS Environment
Context

The question arises from the increasing rates of childhood obesity and seeks specific measures being taken by the government to address this issue.

Question

What steps is the Government taking to help reduce childhood obesity? The announcement of a Government-backed trial in Wolverhampton for Better Health: Rewards app is welcome, but my constituency also suffers from poor health outcomes including excessive levels of childhood obesity, with one in three year 6 children being overweight or obese. How will the Minister monitor the success of the trial and consider extending it to other areas?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

The Government have introduced calorie labelling for on-the-go food, brought in a sugar tax, are spending £330 million annually on school sport through the PE premium, investing £300 million in new facilities through the youth investment fund and £150 million per year on healthy food schemes like school fruit and vegetables. Cooking and nutrition are part of the national curriculum from key stages 1 to 3 aiming to teach children how to cook and apply principles of healthy eating. The Better Health: Rewards pilot is closely monitored, more than 10,000 residents have already registered, and lessons learned will be applied broadly.

Answered
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Q2 Lee Anderson Reform Ashfield
Education Mental Health
Context

The question arises from the belief that teaching children basic cooking skills can significantly contribute to healthier diets and combat obesity.

Question

A local chef in Ashfield agrees that cooking meals from scratch is cheaper and more nutritious than buying processed foods. Is it a good idea to start teaching children basic cooking skills in school as part of our fight against childhood obesity?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

Cooking and nutrition are already part of the national curriculum from key stages 1 to 3, aiming to teach children how to cook and apply principles of healthy eating. The Government is spending significant funds on school sport through the PE premium and investing in new facilities through the youth investment fund.

Partly answered

Not addressed: extending efforts beyond current curriculum

How: More That We Can Do Together

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Q3 Nicola Richards
NHS Economy
Context

The question arises from the announcement of a Government-backed trial in Wolverhampton for Better Health: Rewards app and seeks details on its monitoring and potential expansion.

Question

The announcement of a Government-backed trial in Wolverhampton to introduce a Better Health: Rewards app is welcome. How will the Minister monitor the success of this pilot? Will he consider extending it to other areas such as West Bromwich East?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

The Better Health: Rewards pilot in Wolverhampton has more than 10,000 residents registered. The Government will monitor lessons learned closely and look at how they can apply these broadly.

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Q4 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Economy Children & Families
Context

The question arises from concerns that families struggling with financial constraints may be forced to purchase cheaper, less healthy food options, contributing to childhood obesity.

Question

For such families it is about not necessarily the right food but the cheapest food which means in many cases young children become obese through no fault of their own. What can be done to help families buy healthier foods on a budget that is often minimal?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

The Government has spent £55 billion helping households and businesses with energy bills this winter, provided a £900 cost of living payment for 8 million poorer households, increased the national living wage to its highest level ever, and is spending £26 billion on cost of living support this year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: direct measures addressing obesity through budget constraints

How: One Of The Biggest Packages In Europe

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Q5 Martyn Day SNP
NHS Scotland Benefits & Welfare Children & Families
Context

The question arises from the Scottish Government's aim to halve childhood obesity by 2030, highlighting that addressing underlying causes such as child poverty is essential.

Question

The Scottish Government aims to halve childhood obesity by 2030 but dealing with consequences alone is not enough. It is essential to address the underlying causes such as child poverty. What representations has the Minister made to his Cabinet colleagues about DWP policies damaging public health outcomes?

Answer from Neil O'Brien

The Government have introduced a sugar tax, calorie labelling for high fat, salt and sugar products from October, an advertising watershed from 2025, school sport funding through the PE premium, youth investment fund investments in new facilities and £150 million annually on healthy food schemes.

Not addressed: representations made to DWP

How: Driving Forward Work To Tackle It

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