Media Statement on the obesity epidemic

'Now is the time for sustained, long-term support and funding for projects which are proven to bring about lasting behavioural change, and public awareness drives that continue to raise understanding of how to avoid and reverse obesity and of its effect on health.

‘We need to tackle the underlying causes of an obesogenic environment which promotes inactivity and over-eating, and makes high-fat highly processed food easily available, affordable and attractive. We need integrated solutions that facilitate change in individuals, in communities and in society.

‘People need to be encouraged and inspired to make healthy choices – to be more active and to cook and eat more healthily. Government policies on food advertising and food labelling need to be proactive and vigorous, and not held back by fears of accusations of nanny statism.

‘Helping children to understand what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and teaching them how to cook should be a core part of the curriculum. We welcome the government’s commitment to increasing the number of hours of sport offered in schools, although competitive sport should be balanced with other types of physical activity so that less fit or able children can enjoy opportunities to be active.

‘One of the most fundamental changes needed to dismantle the obesogenic environment is the design of the built environment. Central and local government planning policies must prioritise the development of ‘walkable communities’ designed around people rather than cars, where shops, public services (like GP surgeries and libraries), green spaces and places of worship are all within a reasonable walk. We need to avoid the type of planning which places low-density housing, supermarkets and office development on separate sites, forcing people to drive. 'Walkability' should be a key test of the acceptability of proposed developments.

‘The design of our communities needs to balance the needs of people and traffic if we are to help people to live more active lives. Over 4,000 children and 8,000 adults are killed or seriously injured every year by cars or lorries while walking or cycling. The higher the traffic volume, the less time people spend outside. We need planning which routinely includes and promotes pedestrianised areas, traffic calming measures and wider pavements. Our public environment needs to be clean, well-managed and well-lit, with many more street trees and thoughtful corporate planting, as well as an emphasis on providing safe, high-quality green spaces, so that it becomes pleasant to walk, run, cycle and spend time in parks.

‘The Foundation will continue to work to highlight innovative, evidence-based efforts to tackle obesity and to support the creation of environments that enable, encourage and inspire people to make healthy choices.’

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Media contact

Natasha Finlayson, Communications Director – 020 3119 3118, or mobile 07894 540620

Note to editors

The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health encourages a culture of health and wellbeing with people and communities taking more responsibility for their own health. It believes that poor health does not exist in isolation, but is a direct consequence of our lifestyles, our cultures, our communities and how we interact with our environments. The Foundation is a charity founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1993.

Integrated health is an approach to health which:

• looks at the person in the round, taking into account the effects on health of lifestyle, environment and emotional wellbeing
• brings together the safest and most effective aspects of mainstream medical science and complementary healthcare
• emphasises prevention and self-care