Latest news with #childobesity
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Ministers ‘caving in to food industry' after delaying junk food ads ban
Ministers have delayed plans to ban TV adverts for junk foods before 9pm. Campaigners accused the Government of 'caving in to industry pressure' saying the delays were 'the result of a coordinated attack by companies selling the unhealthiest food and drinks and the advertising industry – all working to weaken the policy and delay action'. The Government had pledged to stop advertisements for products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) being shown on screen while children were likely to be watching, with rules coming into force in October 2025. But the date has been pushed back after complaints from retailers and confusion over how guidelines would be enforced. The restrictions will now legally take effect on Jan 5. A government spokesman said: 'Obesity robs children of the best start in life and sets them up for a lifetime of health problems, which costs the NHS billions. 'We have secured a unique and public commitment from advertisers and broadcasters so that from Oct 1 2025, adverts for identifiable less healthy products will not be shown on TV before 9pm or at any time online, and this will be a legal duty from January 2026. 'The junk food advertising restrictions on TV and online are a crucial part of our plan for change to raise the healthiest generation of children ever. By reducing children's exposure to junk food advertising, we will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from UK children's diets each year.' It is understood that a four-month pause will allow the Department of Health and the Advertising Standards Authority to work on a clearer interpretation of the restrictions. Earlier in 2025 Archie Norman, the M&S chairman, said the Government's new HFSS advertising rules 'probably mean we can't run a Christmas ad' because many festive foods would not adhere to HFSS guidelines. Retailers bringing in ban However, many retailers, including major grocers, have already committed to introduce a ban from Oct 1. ITV, Channel 4, the Advertising Association and the British Retail Consortium have also said they will comply with the restrictions from then. An Advertising Standards Authority spokesman said: 'The Government has set out its intention to bring in amending legislation to push back the implementation date on LHF [less healthy food and drink] ad restrictions and to consult on changing the law on brand exemption. 'We recognise the importance of this issue for a range of stakeholders. Therefore, together with Ofcom, we will now carefully assess what this means for the process to develop and implement the rules and guidance and will provide a further update as soon as possible.' Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: 'This Government committed in its manifesto and via the King's Speech to ending junk food ads targeting children. But just like its predecessor, it appears to be caving to industry pressure and delaying the implementation of these long-overdue restrictions. 'We're seeing the result of a coordinated attack by companies selling the unhealthiest food and drinks and the advertising industry – all working to weaken the policy and delay action. 'The Government insists that this decision is not abandoning their commitments on children's health, it's just cleaning up a technical issue. It is now up to them to prove that's true by implementing the evidence-based policies to make it easier for everyone to eat healthily.' Talks about a ban began six years ago and a proposal was first announced in June 2021 by Boris Johnson, then prime minister. Sonia Pombo, head of impact and research at Action on Salt, said: 'The Government continues to cave to the food industry's every whim and it is beyond disappointing, yet not surprising. We saw it with the previous government, and we are seeing it now. 'It should not take six years to implement a policy, and this news raises genuine questions as to where the Government's commitment really lies. Their promise to raise the healthiest generation of children in history seems to be as full of holes as their policies.' John Maingay, director of policy at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'It is deeply disappointing that industry pressure has caused yet another delay to vital junk food marketing restrictions being implemented in full. 'It has been three years since the legislation was passed when technical issues around the guidance could and should have been resolved. 'Government must now hold firm in their commitment to protecting child health. We urge them to find a solution that honours their manifesto aim of ending the advertising of junk food to children.' Concerns have been raised by retailers and broadcasters about the impact of the ban. Ministers are preparing to amend legislation to ensure brand-only advertising, which does not show specific HFSS products, is not caught under the rules. In April, the Government reassured businesses that pure brand messages are not 'in scope' of the upcoming ban. However, health campaigners have pointed out that ads which show brand, but not food content, are just as likely to encourage children to eat more. Junk food promotion Also in April a British study found that five minutes of junk food promotion is enough to persuade children to eat an extra 130 calories daily. Children and teenagers exposed to the marketing ate far more calories than other children, even if the adverts did not feature food products at all. Addressing the Commons in April, Ashley Dalton, the health minister, said: 'The Government's view remains that pure brand advertising is not in scope of this policy. 'This is because the legislation only restricts adverts that could reasonably be considered to be for identifiable less-healthy products, and not adverts that could be reasonably understood to be advertising brands. 'We therefore expect that businesses will still have opportunities to promote their brands, provided that their adverts do not identify a less-healthy product.'
CBC
19-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Rebuilding after forest fires, butterfly decline, new Canadian baseball star and more
Fire season has already started in Canada, with several communities having been given evacuation orders. But in British Columbia, some condo owners are still living with the consequences of a fire that was put out years ago. And: With spring and summer taking hold in Canada, it is normally a time to see butterflies fluttering around. But according to a recent study, the numbers of butterflies are dramatically dropping. And a large part of the butterfly population has vanished. Also: In a league of her own. One of Japan's top female baseball stars took to the mound for a pro men's team in Canada. She pitched two shut out innings for the Toronto Maple Leaf Baseball team in her debut. Plus: child obesity, robotic healthcare, being detained at U.S. border and more.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Some children at obesity clinics have BMI of 50
A disproportionate number of children referred to NHS excess weight clinics in England are from the most deprived areas, and a significant number are neurodivergent or have other health conditions, a study has have a body mass index (BMI) over 50, with 40 deemed to be severely 4,800 under-18s have been referred to the clinics since they were set up in 2021, according to research carried out by Leeds Beckett, Sheffield Hallam, Leeds and Bristol universities and presented at the European Congress on clinics provide mental health support and care for other underlying conditions, as well as dietary advice. Specialist excess weight clinics treat severely obese children in England aged 2-17, who are flagged as needing help by their GP or another clinics are run by multi-disciplinary teams including paediatricians, psychologists and dieticians. The new research, which looked at 32 of the clinics, found that over 40% of the children attending them lived in the most deprived on data from more than 3,000 child patients, many had other health conditions:24% had autism23% a learning disability30% had liver diseasea significant proportion had another health complication"Living with excess weight can cause problems affecting every organ system," said Professor Simon Kenny, national clinical director at NHS England."We also know that children living with health problems can have poorer school attendance, which can affect their future employment and life opportunities. "The NHS won't just sit by and let children and young people become ill adults." Some of the specialist clinics are using digital technology for weight loss support. For example, children can use 'smart scales' at home which do not show their weight. The data is connected to a mobile app to show the trend without the numbers. Only clinicians are able to see the data and provide feedback to the another paper presented to the European Congress on Obesity, presented by Dr Annika Janson from Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden, researchers said giving weight loss jabs to children could be effective. She said that trials of the drugs in children aged 12 and over had shown a loss of 5-16% of body weight after a year, but added it was "difficult to isolate the effect of adding GLP-1 drugs to the plethora of treatments that are already available". The medicines regulator NICE has not approved weight loss drugs for routine use by children in England, although they can be provided by specialists if there is urgent clinical need. What does BMI mean? Body mass index (BMI) is widely used as a simple way of finding out whether a person is a healthy weight for their adults:a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be a healthy weighta BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered to be overweighta BMI over 30 is considered to be obeseBut it's not accurate for everyone because it can't tell the difference between fat and muscle, and doesn't take into account ethnic waist circumference may be a better to calculate your child's BMI
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists pinpoint exact age you'll be obese for life
A child's weight at just six years old is crucial to predicting whether they're likely to be obese as an adult, concerning research has suggested. Dutch scientists said the first five years of a child's life were the most important for giving them a 'chance at a happy, healthy life'. Analysing the health records of more than 3,500 children, they found that every one-unit increase in BMI at the age of six more than doubled their odds of being overweight or obese at 18. Being very overweight or obese is known to increase the risk of a multitude of diseases, from diabetes to several types of cancer. Experts today, who labelled the findings important, said it showed access to healthy foods at nurseries and pre-schools as well as early intervention, was vital. Professor Jasmin de Groot, an expert in behavioural science at the University Medical Centre Rotterdam and an author of the study, said: 'We need to understand how children grow and develop if we are to help future generations grow up healthier. 'Our research assists with this by showing that a child with obesity isn't destined to live with overweight or obesity as a young adult—and that the first five years of a child's life provide a fantastic opportunity to intervene.' In the study, the scientists used data from 3,528 Dutch children and tracked their body mass index (BMI) at age two, six, 10, 14 and 18. Presenting their findings at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain, they also said that if a child with a higher BMI reached a healthy weight by the age of six, they were no longer at risk. Current data shows around 21 per cent of five-years-old in England are obese. It comes as separate research presented at the congress found that the number of teenagers who are overweight has increased by 50 per cent over the last 15 years. British experts, who led the research, blamed the surge on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and poor lifestyle choices such as excessive screen time and not enough exercise. The study, by University of Bristol researchers, tracked those aged 12 to 17 and found the percentage who were overweight or obese increased from 22 per cent in 2008-2010 to 33 per cent in 2021-2023. Foods laden with additives, such as crisps and sweets have long been vilified for their supposed risks, with studies linking them to heart disease and cancer. But experts are now calling for UPFs—typically anything edible that has more artificial ingredients than natural ones—to be slashed from diets. Last year, the Government announced a ban on TV adverts for junk food before 9pm, in an effort to tackle childhood obesity. The ban is set to come into effect in October 2025. But they have been urged to enact stronger policies such as banning junk food shops near schools. Obesity itself increases the chances of person suffering serious health conditions that can damage the heart, such as high blood pressure, as well as cancers. Around two in three adults in the UK are obese or overweight, giving the country one of the highest obesity rates in Europe. Last year, a sobering report also suggested Britain's spiraling obesity levels have fuelled a staggering 39 per cent rise in type 2 diabetes among people under 40, with 168,000 Brits now living with the illness. Piling on the pounds has also been linked to at least 13 types of cancer and is the second biggest cause of the disease in the UK, according to Cancer Research UK.
Times
11-05-2025
- Health
- Times
Child's BMI aged six predicts likelihood of obesity as an adult
A child's weight at the age of six is crucial to determining their likelihood of being obese as an adult, new research has found. Experts said that the first five years of a child's life were the most important for giving them a 'chance at a happy, healthy life'. A study analysing 3,528 children in the Netherlands found that every one-unit increase in body mass index (BMI) at age six more than doubled a child's odds of being overweight or obese at 18, and was a better predictor of obesity than any other point in childhood. • How to stop your teens (and yourself) eating ultra-processed foods The findings, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain, demonstrated the importance of healthy environments
