Leading article: Obesity hope

The flurry of initiatives from Ed Balls, the Children, Schools and Families Secretary, to combat obesity have to be welcomed. It still remains to be seen whether improving school kitchens and linking schools where the take-up of meals has declined with culinary experts at institutions where the new Jamie Oliver-style dinners have taken off will succeed.

The proof of the pudding, as they say, will be in the eating over the next couple of years. It may be impossible, however, to wean children off chips and fatty foods.