Medical X-Press – Staff Writer
“Every year, 57,100 children who started primary school in England at a healthy weight end up obese or overweight by the time they leave, according to new statistics published today (Thursday) by Cancer Research UK. This worrying statistic adds to the fact that one in five children are already overweight or obese when they start primary school. And by the time they leave, that figure rises to one in three. To highlight the staggeringly high level of children’s obesity and epidemic of rising ill-health, Cancer Research UK has transformed a shop front into an XL school uniform shop to show the new norm of larger school uniforms. The Government has reneged on its commitment to publish a robust strategy to tackle the crisis of children’s obesity. Encouraging exercise and a sugar tax alone won’t curb the rise of ill-health which could cost the NHS billions. Commitments to protect children from junk food marketing and mandatory targets to reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in food are also vital.”(more)