The cross-departmental strategy will focus on maintaining a healthy weight and preventing children from becoming obese in the first place.
"Good food and lifestyle habits need to be developed early from breastfeeding in order to get the biological system off to a healthy start," said Dr Susan Jebb, head of nutrition and health research at the Medical Research Council and chair of the expert group that advised on the strategy.
Local authorities will be encouraged to use their planning powers to prevent fast food restaurants being located near parks and schools and develop "healthy towns" with better cycle routes and higher-quality parks.
But a spokesman for the Local Government Association predicted the plans would have little impact.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
