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Press Release

MEND statement on tackling the obesity epidemic following report in the Lancet

26 August 2011

Harry MacMillan, Chief Executive of MEND, a social enterprise that works with the NHS to provide free healthy lifestyle programmes for families, comments on the Lancet report on the obesity epidemic. He says:

"With one in three children overweight or obese, it makes both economic and social sense for the government to take action and fund initiatives that prevent obese children from developing into obese adults.

"Government intervention and leadership is crucial if we are to turn the tide on the obesity crisis. The government and food companies must work together to create an environment that actively prevents children from becoming overweight in the first place. Furthermore, obesity treatments and programmes that are proven to work and are cost-effective, such as MEND's free healthy lifestyle programmes for families, must be properly and efficiently funded.

"MEND's local healthy lifestyle programmes give children, families and adults the tools and knowledge to become fitter and healthier for life. However, due to the low proportion of funding that currently reaches front line services MEND is only able to help one per cent of obese and overweight children in the UK.

"We look forward to seeing a clear plan of action laid out in the government's obesity strategy due later this year. The government needs to take practical action without further delay to halt and reverse the obesity epidemic."



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