‘Blame letters’ sent to parents whose children are overweight, branded ‘not helpful’

The county councilor overseeing health in Warwickshire has questioned whether “blame letters” are the most effective way to tackle worsening childhood obesity.

Performance data published by Warwickshire County Council shows that more than a third – 35.2 per cent – ​​of 10-11 year olds are considered overweight or obese.

No target has been set for the measure, which is part of the authority’s Child Friendly Warwickshire strategy aimed at keeping children happy, healthy and safe, but the report confirms it is “not on track” in this area, with performance “declining “.

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New Labor group leader Cllr Sarah Feeney (Benn) last week told the council’s cabinet – the group of Tory councilors that look after the main service areas – that she was “shocked” by the figure, finding it “quite worrying”. .

Leader Councilor Izzi Seccombe OBE (Con, Stour & the Vale) reflected on a national trend where the government has tried to intervene by introducing taxation on sugary drinks.

“It’s very unfortunate,” she said. “We’ve done quite a lot over the years around schools, particularly primary schools, around the daily mile (a national initiative which encourages children to walk a mile through exercise every day), bringing out the sugary drink machines for to try to help.

“But of course that’s because of local choice in schools because a lot of schools get resources from that.”

Councilor Margaret Bell (Con, Hartshill & Mancetter), portfolio holder for social care and adult health, also referred to the child measurement program that takes place in schools where body mass index (BMI) is calculated.

“We spoke to our colleagues in public health about the letter that goes out if your child is overweight. Sometimes it has a negative effect,” she said.

“You can use the data, but can we use it to target resources? I think sending a blame letter is not always the right thing to do.

“This is a government program, and I think there’s some flexibility in it, so we’re talking about how to do that.”

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