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Collaborative effort to reduce obesity launched
The Mayor of London is to establish a collaborative London-wide body to reduce levels of childhood obesity in the capital in line with government targets.
The group – incorporating NHS London, Sport England, Youth Sport Trust, Transport for London, London 2012 and London Food Board – will coordinate action on sport, physical fitness, health and obesity across London in support of Ken Livingstone’s Health Inequalities Strategy.
The Mayor said: “In London there are many programmes already working to increase participation in sport or get Londoners eating healthier diets. But we need coordinated action between health, education, sport, transport services, urban planners and others.”
One fifth of children under ten in London are obese and around one quarter are overweight.
“Levels of obesity are higher in poorer neighbourhoods and chances of good health are worse for people on lower incomes,” he added.
“I want to see coordinated action to improve Londoners’ health long term, and this must mean fighting poverty, poor education and unemployment, as well as promoting healthy food, lifestyles and physical activity.”
Consequently, the strategy calls for the NHS to boost spending in preventive services to promote physical and mental health and to improve access to primary care.