Health: Official letters to warn parents if their child is obese or overweight

Department of Health announce plans to tackle obesity epidemic but avoid 'negative' words

Politics: Don’t blame obese people for health problems, says Johnson

Health secretary says it does not help the overweight to be told their problems are all their own fault

Beating obesity will take a partnership of state and society

Alan Johnson: It's no good just haranguing people, as David Cameron would, that they're fat and need to shape up. Obesity is a social problem that demands social solutions

We won’t lecture obese people, pledges Alan Johnson

Obese people should not be hectored and lectured to lose weight, the health secretary is to warn

Government to unveil Olympic health push backed by ad and TV industries

The government is to outline details of a multimillion-pound healthy living campaign supported by a coalition of advertisers, media companies, health charities and community groups. By Mark Sweney

David Cameron says alcoholism is a choice – I need to believe that it was my genes telling me to drink

Tanya Gold: Should we treat alcoholism as a disgusting hobby, born of moral frailty and a desire to watch Richard and Judy all day?

Young pioneers in the frontline of NHS battle against obesity

Programme targets 2,000 families in Rotherham where one in three local children are clinically obese

Drug abuse and risky sex targeted in teen health drive

New initiative aims to improve care for teenagers, amid concern that substance abuse, risky sexual behaviour and mental health problems are blighting their lives

In praise of … Japanese food

Editorial: Award winning Japanese chef cooks for G8 leaders providing a spectacular menu but bad timing

Minister calls for lunchtime lock-in at schools to stop rush for chippie

Shocking new research into schoolchildren's lunch habits adds to concerns over obesity