Health of England’s children at risk from policy inaction on obesity, report finds

Researchers said ultra-processed foods and products high in fat, sugar and salt had become normalised in child diets. Photograph: Rob Lewine/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Children in England are at risk of diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems because ministers have shelved anti-obesity policies until 2025, according to a damning report commissioned by the government.

The independent report says that ultra-processed foods (UPF) and products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) have become “normalised” in children’s diets, with poorer parents powerless to curb them.