In a pamphlet published today by the Children’s Food Campaign, ten experts on obesity, food and children’s health tell the Government that it can do much more to tackle to health time bomb of obesity, and should start by introducing a 9pm watershed for junk food TV adverts.

The pamphlet, entitled ‘Missing The Target’, explains that much more could have been done over the last few years – and can still be done now – to reduce levels of childhood obesity and improve children’s health and wellbeing. 

Dr Mike Rayner, Director of the BHF Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University says in his conclusion: “Obesity is a complex problem and there is no silver bullet to solve it. But the contributors to this pamphlet have pointed out a number of practical steps that will, together, significantly improve children’s health.  The Government should:

• Introduce a 9pm watershed for junk food advertising on television;
  
• Introduce statutory controls to reduce children’s exposure to other junk food marketing, particularly online and via mobile phones; 
  
• Make cooking a compulsory element of the national curriculum, 
  
• Vigorously support traffic light food labelling”

The pamphlet was published in advance of the Foresight report on obesity which will show that, unless we act, half of boys will be obese by 2050 and obesity will cost the country £45 billions a year.

Responding to rumours that the Government will drop is Public Service Agreement target to stop the growth in childhood obesity by 2010, Dr Rayner writes: “Stopping the growth of obesity among young children by 2010 was certainly an ambitious target.  But the question remains; could the Government have done more to meet its target?  The answer is unambiguous: yes.”

He continues: “To go further the Government has to make a philosophical leap.  It should no longer see its role as gently guiding the food industry towards more responsible behaviour, but instead as the protector of children’s interests, ready to take tough action to improve children’s diet and well being.”

The contributors to the pamphlet are:
- Sir Al Aynsley-Green; Children’s Commissioner for England, who has written the foreword. 
- Dr Colin Waine; Chairman, National Obesity Forum;
- Ruairi O’Connor; British Heart Foundation.
- Sarah Woolnough; Cancer Research UK.
- Dr Beckie Lang; Association for the Study of Obesity.
- Dr Jason Halford and Emma Boyland; University of Liverpool.
- Dr Vivienne Nathanson; Head of Professional Activities, British Medical Association.
- Professor Gerard Hastings; Director, Centre for Social Marketing.
- Jane Landon; Deputy Chief Executive, National Heart Forum.
- Dr Martin Caraher; Reader in Food and Health Policy at City University.
- Dr Mike Rayner; Director, British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University, and Chair of the Children’s Food Campaign.

The full pamphlet is available at: http://www.sustainweb.org/pdf/Missing_the_target.pdf

Ends.

For further information please contact Richard Watts on 020 7837 1228 or 07710 782719.  Richard is available for comment on the pamphlet.

Note to editors:

1. The Children's Food Campaign wants to improve children's health and well-being through better food - and food teaching - in schools, and protecting children from junk food marketing.  We are supported by over 300 organisations and 12,000 members of the public.  The Children’s Food Campaign is coordinated by Sustain: the alliance for better food and
   farming.
2. A 9pm watershed restriction on high fat, sugar and salt foods would reduce children’s exposure to this type of advertising by 82%. It is supported by a broad coalition of health, children’s and consumer groups as well as by Ofcom’s own advisory committee for England, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, and the Food Standards Agency.  A British Heart Foundation / TNS poll last year found that 69% of parents supported a 9pm watershed.
3. Research by Which? has shown just how ineffective the new rules on TV junk food advertising are.  The new rules will not affect advertising during the 26 commercial TV programmes most watched by children or in any of the time periods when most children are watching.
4. Over 220 MPs have signed a motion in support a 9pm watershed.  The full list of signatories for EDM 404 is here: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=32033&SESSION=885 
5. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on 25 October 2006 on GMTV, when talking about the childhood obesity crisis: “we have got to do something about television advertising before the watershed hour”.