PE funding and the true cost of obesity | Letter

2026-02-04 - 18:05

A call for a joined-up approach to tackling obesity from Prof Les Mayhew The possible cuts to Whitehall’s physical education funding left one misty-eyed for that jargonistic catchphrase of the Blair era: joined-up government (Government row breaks out over plan to cut spending for PE in England’s schools, 27 January). Coincidentally, your story appeared hours after the NHS published data from its Health Survey England. Inevitably, the 2024 data revealed another rise in the percentage of adults in England who were obese or overweight – reaching 66%, compared with 53% in 1993. About 30% of adults were obese. The survey again illustrated the links between deprivation, obesity and ill-health. Continue reading...