Leading the fight against child obesity | Letters

Iain Malcolm says South Tyneside council is taking a tough line on planning applications for fast food takeaways; Joe Irvin says getting children more active is the key

I write in response to your article “One child in every 25 in final year of primary school is acutely obese” (24 July). As the piece highlighted, childhood obesity is a national issue but one that we are tackling proactively here at South Tyneside council. Reducing obesity and promoting healthy lifestyles among our children and young people in particular are among our top priorities and limiting exposure to unhealthy food choices is one of the ways we can do this.

Last year we adopted new planning guidance that seeks to refuse planning permission for takeaways in wards where the level of obesity for year 6 pupils is more than 10%. And only last month the council for the first time used this new guidance to reject a planning application for a town centre takeaway, citing childhood obesity levels in the area as one of the grounds for refusal. Managing the proliferation of fast food outlets is a key tool in our fight against obesity and health inequalities.
Councillor Iain Malcolm
Leader, South Tyneside council

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Lp7cpO