Healthy weight, healthy futures

Local government action to tackle childhood obesity


Childhood obesity has been described as one of the most serious public health challenges for the 21st century by the World Health Organization, while NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has dubbed it "the new smoking".

The Government has been setting out its plans in its child obesity strategy. But local government has already been very active. The transfer of responsibility for public health in 2013 to councils has sparked a surge in innovative programmes and some are featured in these case studies.

From working with children who are obese and overweight to encouraging children to cut their consumption of sugary drinks, local authorities are showing how child obesity can be tackled.