Public health action promised in obesity divide

The prime minister has said that in order to promote public health the government is prepared to risk accusations it is developing a "nanny state".

Statistics released by the Department of Health on Tuesday showed the UK as having the highest obesity rate in Europe.

The Health Profile of England report also revealed a significant north-south health divides in England.

Northern areas have higher obesity rates, more smoking-related deaths and lower life expectancies.

The report comes only two months after the Department predicted 13 million people in England would be obese by 2010 if nothing was done to tackle the problem.

The government is to announce supermarkets, schools and bus companies will be part of a renewed fight against the obesity epidemic.

Tony Blair said it was important to get health messages to the public.

"It's difficult for us, trying to balance not becoming a 'nanny state' which tells everyone what to do, and trying to educate people that there are real changes that they can make to improve their health and fitness," he told the BBC.

"But when it has an impact, as it does and will do over the long term, on the whole of the country and our ability to afford the healthcare system, it's our job to put the facts before people."

There have been some successes since the publication of the Choosing Health white paper in 2004, the report showed.

Life expectancy is increasing for all groups in society and the government reported 1.2 million people as having stopped smoking since 1998.

Public health minister Caroline Flint said: "People will only change their behaviour when they decide changing is worth the result."

She added: "Parents are not always embracing healthy eating and active lifestyles as it is perceived to be too challenging.

"We want to support parents to make them feel more able to make the changes that are needed to make a big difference to their own - and their children's lives."

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said the government had abandoned measures taken by the Conservatives to tackle obesity and done nothing itself to tackle the problem.

"We have got to have serious interventions: more school nurses, more health visitors who are routinely working with families at home, and a food labelling scheme consistently applied across all products which shows people what guideline daily amounts are, and which helps them to build a good diet," he said.