The government of the United Kingdom said the number of overweight children in the country continues to rise with the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) recording an eight percent increase just over a decade.
According to the official figures from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), severe obesity among 10 to 11 year-olds has reached its highest ever level, 4.2 percent, while 20.1 percent of that age group are obese. The figures also showed that more boys than girls are obese.
As obesity continues to rise in the United Kingdom, the officials of Public Health England have met with several retailers, and food manufacturers, including Mcdonalds, KFC, Domino's Pizza, Deliveroo and Just Eat to discuss introducing "calorie caps" on their respective products.
The proposal could limit a standard pizza to only 928 calories, while savory pies should contain no more than 695 calories. Other foods, including sandwiches, soups, and processed meats, would also have calorie caps. The said proposal is still on its early stage with further measures due to be announced in the spring.
"It could mean less meat on a pizza, it could mean less cheese, it could mean a smaller size," Dr. Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, told The Telegraph, adding it is not enough for restaurants to simply offer healthy options. "Consumers are saying they want smaller portions and healthier options. We know that just having healthy options on the menu won't change the nation's habits - we need the default option to have fewer calories."
Dr. Max Davie, the officer for health promotion for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, also praised ministers for setting out plans to tackle childhood obesity by, such as banning junk food advertisements on television before the 9 pm watershed and the removal of such goods from checkouts and two-for-one deals.
However, Dr. Max Davie stressed that "Access [to], and funding of, high-quality weight management services are urgently needed now if we are to ensure no child slips through the net and all children, no matter where they live, are given the same opportunity to have good health" (as cited by South China Morning Post).
The Public Health England also warned that most of the overweight children suffer from low self-esteem, bullying, and stigma. There is also a greater chance that they become adults who were overweight or obese, which increases the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancers.
