Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle obesity in children.

It is shocking that the latest data from the National Child Measurement Programme showed the highest prevalence of obesity seen in reception age children in England since the programme began, excluding the 2020/21 pandemic peak.

We recognise that prevention is almost always better, and cheaper, than a cure. As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we will take decisive action on the childhood obesity crisis, easing the strain on our National Health Service and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.

We are also restricting junk food advertising targeted at children, banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years of age, and ensuring the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains fit for purpose. We are working closely with the Department for Education to update school food standards. To support families, we are expanding free school meals to all children with a parent in receipt of universal credit. The Healthy Start scheme, which aims to support those in greatest need, will have the value of its weekly payments uplifted by 10% from April 2026, boosting the ability to buy healthy food for those families who need it most.

In a world first, we will introduce mandatory healthy food sales reporting for large food businesses. We will set new targets to increase the healthiness of sales.

Our current promotion and advertising restrictions on less healthy food and drinks use the 2004/05 Nutrient Profile Model to determine which foods are ‘less healthy’. This is plainly out of date. We intend to update the standards applied to these restrictions and will consult on implementation in 2026.

We are also working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to develop their cross-Government Food Strategy, which will work to provide healthier, more easily accessible food to help both adults and children live longer, healthier lives.