The letter was signed by the leaders of the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party and Scottish National Party, and was co-ordinated by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.
The letter says: “If we don’t act now, the current generation of young children could well live shorter lives than their parents.”
It urges the government to launch a ‘comprehensive, ambitious plan to combat childhood obesity’. The 13 suggested measures include: an end to junk food marketing on TV before 9pm, stopping ‘buy one get one free’ and other multi-buy junk food offers, and age restrictions on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s.
It continues: “Every year the gap in obesity levels between the most and the least disadvantaged children continues to grow. Our poorest families are twice as likely to be obese as the richest.
“The launch of the sugary drinks levy is a very welcome first step. But far more needs to be done. Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet, but we can win this fight.“
The letter states that the proposed measures in the medium term will save the NHS billions of pounds and will increase productivity. The party leaders say the government will have their support if it launches such a plan.