Lib Dems pledge to reduce obesity of 'microwave generation'

New health plans pledging to help end the 'microwave generation' of obese and unhealthy children have been debated at the Liberal Democrat Conference today.

Under the plans children will be given the opportunity to get into healthy habits at a young age. The school curriculum will teach nutrition, cooking skills and pupils will have more opportunities for exercise in the school week.

The health policy paper also introduces a whole raft of measures aimed at "putting patients in the driving seat", and freeing up frontline NHS staff from Whitehall control.

The paper also outlines a "holistic approach" to the nation's health that treats prevention just as seriously as cure - tackling the causes of illness and encouraging a more healthy society.

Lib Dem health spokesperson, Paul Burstow, said that – according to the Wanless report 'Securing Our Future Health: Taking A Long-Term View' – failure to tackle the causes of ill health would increase the bill for the NHS by £30 billion a year by 2022.

"Tackling the causes of ill health is not something the NHS can do on its own. We want to equip people with the knowledge and skills to take control of their own health," he said.

"A growing 'microwave generation' of kids are storing up health problems for the future. The only hope of containing the rising tide of childhood obesity is to make a concerted effort to tackle its causes. This means more PE, a return to cookery classes and better food labelling so that schools stop turning out kids who become couch potatoes and microwave chefs.

"At the moment, doctors and nurses are kept in a straightjacket of Whitehall targets and tick boxes which prevents them from offering the best care to patients. Patients are too often seen as passive receivers of healthcare. This policy is about putting patients and frontline NHS staff back in control."

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