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Greater progress needed to tackle obesity and alcoholism

16/07/2008

More needs to be done to increase the rate of progress in tackling obesity and alcohol misuse in the UK, a wide-ranging report has concluded.

The Healthcare Commission and Audit Commission study warns that progress in these areas has been slow.

England has the fastest rising rate of childhood obesity in western Europe and deaths associated with alcohol consumption have risen.

Today's report claims that a 2004 national strategy to tackle alcohol was not sufficient to drive change and says that, as a result, improvement at a local level has been inconsistent.

The watchdogs say that the national strategy to tackle obesity, launched earlier this year, must remain a priority with sustained effort and the required resources to bring about change.

Their comments on obesity and alcohol follow an assessment of the impact government policy has had on public health.

Positive findings include a reduction in the number of deaths from the biggest killers - including circulatory disease - fewer smokers and falling teenage conceptions.

Healthcare Commission chief executive Anna Walker said: "The government has begun to tackle the big killers but more needs to be done on some of the main issues affecting our health.

"The government should also apply lessons learned from its most effective programmes to ensure that the problems of obesity and alcohol misuse do not derail health improvement in the future. We do not want to see any reversal of the health gains that have been made."

Steve Bundred, the Audit Commission's chief executive, added: "It is clear that local authorities, together with the NHS and other local partners, will have a big role to play in tackling health inequalities.

"We owe it to our children to look at the lessons of the past ten years to help us focus on the challenges facing public health issues over the next ten years."