The “Face the Facts, Can the Tax” campaign is funded by the British Soft Drinks Association, and calls on the Government to rethink the policy and focus instead on proven solutions for tackling obesity.
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But healthcare bodies and councils have not taken kindly to the strategy, which, at 13 pages in length, includes 14 points of action to tackle Britain’s obesity epidemic – including introducing a sugar levy on producers, a target for primary school physical education, and clearer food labelling.
But the plans have been criticised for stopping short of restricting junk food adverts.
Health charities, campaign groups and NGOs have heavily criticized the plan in not doing enough to tackle obesity, while the soft drinks industry says the sugar tax is not the way to tackle the weight gain in kids and is too tough on the industry.
“This is a truly shocking abdication of the government’s duties to secure the health and future of the next generation”, says Clark.
The strategy includes further details on a sugar tax as well as plans to increase sport in schools.
“This strategy was Britain’s opportunity to lead the way and to implement real, meaningful environmental change, to start removing the crippling financial burden from our NHS and reversing the tide of diet-related disease”, he wrote.
Officials said the plan – which aims to “significantly reduce England’s rate of childhood obesity within the next ten years” – will see the food and drinks industry working towards a 20 per cent reduction in the sugar used in products popular with children, such as sugary drinks, including a five per cent reduction in year one.
He said the target to reduce sugar was “flawed” because it focused on “the role of this single nutrient, when obesity is caused by excess calories from any nutrient”.
This will be reinforced by a healthy rating scheme which will recognise how primary schools support their pupils to eat healthily and move more.
The progress made by the industry will be reviewed by Public Health England who will publish updates every six months.
CFC co-ordinator Malcolm Clark added: “This was the government’s chance to show that the United Kingdom is a world leader – not just on the Olympic medal table, but in tackling obesity, type II diabetes, dental decay and other forms of diet-related ill-health”.
“I’m in shock. The long-awaited Childhood Obesity Strategy from Theresa May’s new Government is far from robust, and I don’t know why was it shared during recess. As part of its expected obesity strategy, we would urge the Scottish Government to do better and take action on some forms of junk food marketing, including on very cheap unhealthy foods”.
The Government has been accused of watering down childhood obesity strategy.
Research published earlier this year showed some fruit juice drinks contain the equivalent of five teaspoons of sugar with nearly half containing at least a child’s daily recommended maximum intake of 0.7oz (19g). The 20 per cent target is a voluntary measure, so not much different from earlier Responsibility Deals, which have been ineffective.
Professor Parveen Kumar, chairwoman of the British Medical Association’s board of science, said poor diet has become a feature of children’s lives, along with a bombardment of junk food marketing.
Professor Graham MacGregor, chairman of Action on Sugar and Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) says: “It is an insulting response to the United Kingdom crisis in obesity type 2 diabetes both in children and adults”.
Councils have called for funding from the planned levy on soft drinks to go to local authority public health teams.
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The economic costs are enormous too as we spend more each year on the treatment of obesity and diabetes than we do on the police, fire service and judicial system combined.
