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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/07/childhood-obesity-national-emergency-jeremy-hunt-health-sugar-tax-jamie-oliver
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| Childhood obesity is a national emergency, says Jeremy Hunt | Childhood obesity is a national emergency, says Jeremy Hunt |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has described the rise in childhood obesity as a “national emergency” and promised a “gamechanging” response from the government. | |
| In an interview on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, he said the government would introduce either a sugar tax or something “equally robust” when it publishes its childhood obesity strategy. | |
| Related: Cameron refuses to rule out sugar tax on drinks | Related: Cameron refuses to rule out sugar tax on drinks |
| Hunt was speaking after the chef Jamie Oliver told the same programme that he and fellow campaigners would “get more ninja” and “less nice” if the government refused to introduce a sugar tax, of which he is a longstanding supporter. | |
| Until relatively recently David Cameron was firmly opposed to imposing a tax on sugary drinks, with the government instead focusing on trying to persuade the food and drinks industry to reduce sugar content voluntarily. Shortly after the general election George Freeman, a health minister, was reprimanded by No 10 after he publicly suggested a sugar tax might be justified. | Until relatively recently David Cameron was firmly opposed to imposing a tax on sugary drinks, with the government instead focusing on trying to persuade the food and drinks industry to reduce sugar content voluntarily. Shortly after the general election George Freeman, a health minister, was reprimanded by No 10 after he publicly suggested a sugar tax might be justified. |
| But last month Cameron indicated he had had a change of heart. Although still reluctant in principle to impose new taxes, he suggested he was now considering introducing a sugar tax because the obesity crisis was so serious. | |
| Hunt told Marr: “We have got to do something about this. I’ve got a one-year-old daughter, and by the time she reaches adulthood a third of the population will be clinically obese. One in 10 will have type 2 diabetes. It is a national emergency.” | |
| He said he agreed with Oliver that action was needed and that he wanted “a gamechanging moment, a robust strategy.” | He said he agreed with Oliver that action was needed and that he wanted “a gamechanging moment, a robust strategy.” |
| He went on: “The issue here is: do what it takes to make sure that children consume less sugar. Because we have got this terrible problem: we are the most obese nation in the EU.” | |
| Hunt said Britain had a good record on public health, citing the reduction of teenage smoking rates to below 5% as an example, and said an effective strategy would have to target not just manufacturers, but retailers, schools and parents too. | Hunt said Britain had a good record on public health, citing the reduction of teenage smoking rates to below 5% as an example, and said an effective strategy would have to target not just manufacturers, but retailers, schools and parents too. |
| Related: A sugar tax? Let’s stop nannying poor people and find a proper solution | Linda Tirado | Related: A sugar tax? Let’s stop nannying poor people and find a proper solution | Linda Tirado |
| He said introducing a sugar tax was still just one option the government was considering, but that if it were not adopted, the alternative would have to be equally effective. | |
| Oliver told the programme the government should be “brave” that he would be “really, really, really upset” if the government did not introduce a sugar tax. | Oliver told the programme the government should be “brave” that he would be “really, really, really upset” if the government did not introduce a sugar tax. |
| Asked how he and fellow campaigners would respond if the childhood obesity strategy did not include a sugar tax, he replied: “We’ll have to change our strategy, get more ninja, go a bit more underground and a little bit less nice. | Asked how he and fellow campaigners would respond if the childhood obesity strategy did not include a sugar tax, he replied: “We’ll have to change our strategy, get more ninja, go a bit more underground and a little bit less nice. |
| “And I think we need to try and get them out of power as soon as possible. Child health has to be central to a healthy, prosperous economy. It doesn’t matter what government it is. I don’t think it will be pretty.” | “And I think we need to try and get them out of power as soon as possible. Child health has to be central to a healthy, prosperous economy. It doesn’t matter what government it is. I don’t think it will be pretty.” |