Luciana Berger MP, Shadow Minister for Public Health, commenting on the Tory-led Government’s announcement of a ‘Saturated Fat Reduction Pledge,’ said:

“This Tory-led Government have completely lost their way on public health and their voluntary approach to tackling Britain’s obesity epidemic is failing.

“A few company names on a non-binding plan with no timescale stands little chance of delivering the fundamental change needed to improve our national diet. More than 40 organisations have already quit the Government’s public health responsibility  deal since it launched, including the Faculty of Public Health.

“In the week that the Chief Medical Officer warned of the long term dangers of childhood obesity, we need to go much further. That’s why Labour has put forward bold ideas to set legal limits on our food’s fat, sugar and salt content and achieve a cross-party ambition for a more physically-active nation.”

ENDS

Editor’s Notes:

1. The Chief Medical Officer’s child health report published on Thursday warned that the long term costs of obesity in England could reach up to £686m per year: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officers-annual-report-2012-our-children-deserve-better-prevention-pays/cmos-annual-report-2012-our-children-deserve-better-cmos-summary-as-a-web-page