| Childhood obesity strategy row, wearable tech + 15 diabetes thoughts |
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Last week was a busy one for the government, at least regarding health policy, and it’s most likely one that Prime Minister Theresa May will want to forget.
After much dilly-dallying, the belated childhood obesity strategy was released. Finally, we all thought, the government will impose a set of measures that aim to tackle rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Instead, we were presented with a watered down set of ideas that was condemned by experts as being “weak” and “embarrassing”.
We compiled some of the more astonished tweets in response to the strategy.
One missed opportunity was the failure to introduce restrictions on junk food advertising to children. This was then compounded one day later when American scientists found that TV food-related commercials stimulate reward centres in children’s’ brains.
There were, however, some positive strides in relation to political approaches towards diabetes.
Copeland MP Jamie Reed, who has type 1 diabetes, launched a petition to make continuous glucose monitors (CMGs) available on the NHS for people with type 1 diabetes.
CGMs can be a hefty expenditure for people with type 1 diabetes, but Reed insists that CGMS could benefit the NHS by helping patients avoid severe hypos, which cost the NHS £13m a year.
Reed said: "To make CGMs available people with type 1 diabetes will both save the NHS money, and reduce the risk of hypos, particularly in children. The petition is available online here.
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