Britain on Thursday launched a strategy aimed at curbing childhood obesity by taxing companies that sell sugar-laced soft drinks and investing that money in programs to encourage physical activity and balanced diets for school children.
Urging food and drinks firms to act swiftly to cut sugar in their products, the government said nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 in Britain are already overweight or obese.
"Obesity is a threat both to the health of children and to our economy, costing the NHS (National Health Service) billions of pounds every year," Junior Finance Minister Jane Ellison said in a statement.