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Time to get moving

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Time to get moving

The chief medical officer (CMO) has warned in her annual report that obesity is being normalised, while at the same time MPs have claimed that inactivity is costing thousands of lives each year. The CMO for England Professor Dame Sally Davies has highlighted the fact that being overweight or obese is becoming seen as normal. The concern is based on Government statistics showing that nearly two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in England are overweight, as well as research suggesting that many overweight people believe they are a healthy weight.

The annual report calls on food manufacturers to reduce the size and sugar content of their products where possible and considers the benefits of a ‘sugar tax’ if voluntary efforts fail. Meanwhile, a new report from the All Party Commission on Physical Activity (APCPA) has shown that the UK’s activity levels have dropped by a quarter since 1961, and are set to fall by 35 per cent by 2030, causing a rise in cancer, diabetes and heart disease. To try to stem the problem, the APCPA has called for a cross party, five-year ‘national action plan’ including initiatives to promote walking and cycling.

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