Department of Children, Schools and Families 11th December 2007 [Tam Fry]
NOF cannot but express its profound disappointment that the Children’s Plan virtually ignored childhood obesity. Whilst agreeing that obesity is one of the most serious challenges for children from all backgrounds and is linked to a number of poor outcomes [p33], the Plans affords only two paragraphs in its 169 pages to the issue. The UK will apparently have to wait till sometime in the Spring before it can examine a Department of Health [DH] Obesity Action Plan/Child Health Strategy. Even then there will be no assurance that what is published will work. The NOF October Annual Conference voted overwhelmingly that, on present evidence, the DH was incapable of tackling obesity and NOF has welcomed the new Department of Children, Schools and Families [DCSF] as being more likely to get things done. For how many years the DH told the UK been told that HMG/DH is “ about “ to produce its solutions – whilst the number of children who are overweight keeps growing? With every day that passes without any cross-government joined-up thinking, the NOF becomes more dubious that even the new 2020 target to reduce overweight/obesity to their 2000 levels might be attainable.
NOF found it particularly astonishing that Ed Balls, in presenting his Plan to Parliament, did not even mention obesity and that it was left to a back-bench MP, Nigel Griffiths, to remind him that obesity existed. Mr Griffiths chose his moment to remind the Minister that healthy eating might be a major contributor to children’s well being and that his Private Members’ Bill on junk food marketing could use some help to get it through Parliament. He got little in return for the reminder: the Minister wasn’t about to “ leak “ the contents of a colleague’s Bill and Mr Griffiths would have to wait like the rest of us.
NOF welcomes, of course, the funding and provision to be made for physical activity and sport in the Children’s Plan and the various schemes have been well reported. It also hopes that the proposed extension of the parent-held child health and development book, aimed to begin at birth and run up at least to the end of primary school, will allow for the routine assessment of BMI [see Health & Social Care Bill above] |
