Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce obesity among young people.

We launched “Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action” in August 2016. Our world-leading plan focuses on actions that are likely to have the biggest impact on reducing obesity in children and young people. Key measures in the plan include the soft drinks industry levy, the sugar reduction programme, helping children to enjoy an hour of physical activity every day and a healthy rating scheme for primary schools.

We are confident that the measures announced will make a real difference and estimate could reduce childhood obesity rates by around a fifth over the next 10 years.

A copy of “Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action” is attached and is available at:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/546588/Childhood_obesity_2016__2__acc.pdf