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The chief medical officer in England is considering recommending a tax on all unhealthy foods with the aim of curbing the childhood obesity crisis.
Dame Sally Davies, who once called jokingly "nanny in chief," wants parents to be encouraged to buy more fruits and vegetables.
It is currently conducting an urgent review of the measures needed to achieve the government's goal of halving the number of young, fatter children by 2030.
Some 29% of children aged 2 to 15 years old are now overweight or obese in England, and 16% of them are obese.
Dame Sally told BBC News: "I want parents to be encouraged to buy healthy foods. We must make sure that fresh fruits and vegetables are cheap.
Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer in England, said that reducing childhood obesity is a "daunting challenge". She should publish her critique by September.
"Maybe we should subsidize them by charging more, by taxing unhealthy foods. Parents are then encouraged to buy the healthy version because it is cheaper. & # 39;
She added, "I want the food basket that parents buy does not cost anymore."
Health Secretary Matt Hanbad said yesterday "we should not rest on our laurels" and called on his experts to help us improve plans.
"We have gone further than any other country to reduce childhood obesity," he said. "Our reformulation programs are at the forefront of the world.
"We are consulting several new advertising and promotion laws to make the environment healthier for our children.
"I have no doubt that these policies will be effective. What I do not underestimate is the magnitude of the problem we face and we should not rest on our laurels. & # 39;
Matt Hanbad said: "We should not rest on our laurels" as the government tries to put in place measures to halve the number of obese children by 2030.
WHAT ARE UK CHILDREN?
English children are bigger than ever – official data revealed in October that one in 25 years, aged 10 to 11 years, was seriously obese, the largest category possible.
And of about 556,000 British children of primary school age, 170,000 are overweight to some extent, according to last May's figures.
More than one in five children aged 11 is obese – which equates to about 111,000 children – and its fat makes it more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer or stroke.
The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health says that children must be weighed every year at school because "the danger is on the horizon" and that the UK is late compared to the rest of the EU in the fight against obesity.
The experts also warned children to gain weight "at a breakneck pace" when they are in school.
Sugar in food is known to contribute to the swelling of children's waistlines, with huge amounts of popular foods filled with sugar.
A tax on sugar has reduced the effects of some non-alcoholic beverages, but breakfast cereals can still hold more than 70% of the sugar of a whole day in a single bowl.
Even a single can of Coca Cola (35 g of sugar) or a March bar (33 g) contains more than the maximum amount of sugar that a child should have on an entire day.
"If we do not solve this crisis of obesity, today's obese children will become tomorrow's obese adults whose healthy life years will be shortened by a whole series of health problems." health, "said Izzi Seccombe of the Local Government Association in May.
"By 2030, if we want to see a real improvement in the health of our children, we will have to use all the tools in our arsenal," added Hanbad.
"So today I asked the Chief Medical Health Officer to report on what else we could do.
The government's action plan against childhood obesity was first published in 2016 and included measures that could help thin the country's children.
One of its flagship measures, the sugar tax on soft drinks, has already begun and has raised 154 million pounds in the first six months.
Other initiatives include encouraging food and beverage companies to reduce their sugar content by 20%.
Foods for sale in government-run buildings, including recreation centers, will be healthier and elementary schools will ensure that children have at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily between clbades. .
And low-income families will continue to get Healthy Start coupons for milk, fruit and vegetables as part of the government's plans.
The government also plans to ban the sale of energy drinks to children and stop advertising junk food before 9 pm.
Mr. Hanbad seems determined to do more and hopes that Dame Sally will be able to recommend ways to improve the strategy and make it more effective.
Dame Sally said last year that voluntary agreements with the food industry had not allowed to sufficiently reduce the consumption of sugar and salt.
In December, she also called for taxing junk food and subsidizing vegetables to fight childhood obesity.
But the food industry warned that there was no evidence that additional taxes on food could alter consumer behavior in the long run.
"The magnitude of the challenge we face in childhood obesity is great," said Dame Sally yesterday.
"There is no quick fix to a problem that has been around for decades and we need to think outside the box.
"We know that some policies are effective and that many of them are already being implemented by this country. Now we must be bold enough and brave enough to continue.
"I want the UK to be the healthiest country in the world, helping all our children get the best start in life."
Obesity in children has increased since the 1990s. In 1995, 25% of children aged 2 to 15 were overweight or obese, the lowest rate in 14 years.
While the proportion of fat children had peaked in 2004, it was over one-third, at 34%.
This figure was continuously over 30% from 2001 to 2011 and again in 2014.
Obese children are more likely to be fat adults and therefore to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease or cancer.
The report of the Chief Medical Officer is expected for September.
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