Half of local governments in England use planning policy to promote a healthier environment. In 2015, Gateshead Council in the North-East of England was the first local authority to ban planning permission for any new fast-food outlet. We explore if this policy is associated with changes in...

Fast food patronage is a frequent reality for many children and their parents. Although there are increasingly healthier options being offered as alternatives for regular menu items (apple slices instead of French fries), they are seldom selected by the children. We investigated whether either...

The World Health Organisation recently recommended that governments should impose a tax on sugary drinks as a means of combating the obesity epidemic. This article examines the merits of this proposal and also suggests how, if such a tax were to be introduced, it might work. The article...

Countries everywhere are considering the increasing evidence on the possible health benefits from reducing the consumption of sugary drinks – often called sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). This paper examines the rationale for taxing sugary drinks as a way to reduce sugar consumption and...

Two of the most important health risk factors for children and young adults are obesity and alcohol use. These risk factors are known to affect health and wellbeing, but may also have an impact on educational outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess a potential causal relationship...

We examine the vertical transmission of overweight drawing upon a sample of English children, both adopted and non-adopted, and their families. Our results suggest strong evidence of an intergenerational association of overweight among adoptees, indicating transmission through cultural factors....