SUGAR, SALT AND FAT CONTENT IN FOOD AND DRINKS

That this House welcomes the Children, Food and Obesity consultation paper launched in January 2013 to tackle the obesity epidemic; recognises the growing need for the regulation of sugar, salt and fat content of food stuffs because of the failure of voluntary agreements with the food and drinks industry; notes that a recent survey found that 25 per cent of boys and 33 per cent of girls aged between two and 19 years are considered overweight or obese in the UK; further notes that a 30 per cent cap on sugar in cereals and a reduction of 4 per cent in the sugar content in soft drinks are amongst proposals that would reduce the number of calories consumed by children; and calls on the Department of Health in conjunction with the Foods Standards Agency to produce a white paper to tackle the growing issue of obesity in children.