Wired-GOV Newswire (news from other organisations)
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LGA - Councils respond to World Health Organisation report
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Local Government Association (LGA) Community Wellbeing spokesperson responds to the World Health Organisation's report on the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity.
"The report is a wakeup call for everyone over the need to urgently take action on child obesity. We call on the Government, working with councils and the NHS, to use the forthcoming child obesity strategy to come forward with ambitious and challenging proposals to tackle the child obesity crisis facing our communities. Councils and the NHS cannot do it alone.
"The key to tackling obesity, which is costing the NHS more than £5 billion every year, is investing in prevention. This saves money for other parts of the public sector by reducing demand for hospital, health and social care services, and improves the public's health.
"Councils are running fantastic schemes which are helping children stay healthy, and working with schools and business on a range of physical activity and healthy eating projects. However, they could do so much more with the right resources."
View report:
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/204176/1/9789241510066_eng.pdf?ua=1