HEALTH experts have slammed the Government’s ‘watered-down’ childhood obesity strategy.

One campaign group described the plan as a ‘truly shocking abdication of the Government’s duties to secure the health and future of the next generation’.

Curbs on junk food advertising do not form part of the document, despite repeated calls from health experts.

The Obesity Health Alliance previously set out a series of measures which it believes could help curb the problem, including a ban on adverts before the 9pm watershed for food and drink products that are high in saturated fat, salt and sugar.

An emphasis is placed in the plan on greater physical activity in schools and voluntary schemes for the food industry to reform products to reduce sugar.

Malcolm Clark, Children’s Food Campaign spokesman, said: “This is a truly shocking abdication of the Government’s duties to secure the health of the next generation. This strategy was meant to be published a year ago, we’ve had a year of delays and now it has been watered-down to a plan that doesn’t even include marketing restrictions.”

He also accused the Government of ignoring advice from Public Health England, which had recommended the ad ban and junk good promotion restrictions.

Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe said: “This is a welcome first step but we need a holistic approach to tackle childhood obesity.”

The plan has been welcomed in East Lancashire though, with Dr David White, NHS East Lancashire GP clinical lead, believing the food and drink industry will cut sugar levels.

He said: “Being overweight has become the norm. Around three in 10 children are overweight, so it’s difficult for parents to see whether their child is unhealthy or not.”

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones, a longstanding critic of the government’s obesity policies, said: “People are dying unnecessarily, or suffering chronic ill health as a result, from smoking, heavy drinking, fatty food and sugar. People are being hoodwinked into the attractiveness or cheapness of these products.”