Local authority leaders have called for the soft drinks industry levy to be devolved to councils to tackle obesity at the local level and to be expanded to include milk-based drinks and cakes.
New figures show the prevalence of obesity in children aged 4-5 has increased from 9.2% in 2022/23 to 9.6% in 2023/24, while it has decreased over the same period for children aged 10-11 from 22.7% to 22.1%.
The figures, published by the National Child Measurement Programme for England, also show that for children living in the most deprived areas, obesity prevalence was over twice as high compared with those living in the least deprived areas.
The Local Government Association (LGA) urged the Government to give councils more control over the soft drinks industry levy, which has raised £1.9bn since it was introduced in 2018.
The LGA said councils are concerned about where the money is being spent, particularly now the levy is no longer ringfenced for use in tackling obesity and promoting physical activity.
The association praised the levy for successfully incentivising manufacturers to lower sugar content in soft drinks but urged the Government to extend it to include milk-based drinks such as milkshakes and high-sugar coffees.
The LGA also called on the Government to explore extending the levy to high-sugar items like cakes, biscuits, and chocolate, where voluntary sugar reduction has been limited.
