Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard welcomed Health Secretary Wes Streeting to This Morning today to talk about his plan to tackle childhood obesity.
Streeting was on the show alongside Joe Wicks. The pair have teamed up to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic in the UK.
However, there was backlash when Cat Deeley asked if part of the plan would involve giving weight-loss jabs to children…
This Morning’s childhood obesity discuss raises eyebrows
Wes Streeting was on the show to speak about the government’s team-up with lockdown fitness guru Joe Wicks. He explained that a third of children in Britain are obese, and the government are stepping in to do something about it.
Cat was first to ask a question. She said: “It is a really serious matter. A third of children are obese. Would you ever consider the weight-loss jabs as a factor into that and could that help at some stage?”
However, the health secretary shut her idea down. “We’re not looking at them for children at the moment. Adults, yes. Lots of people try but some people reach the point where it just feels like too big a mountain to climb. And that’s where I think weight-loss jabs can play a role,” he said.
Would you ever consider the weight-loss jabs as a factor into that and could that help at some stage?
However, he then warned: “It’s really important that you get advice from a doctor. And I’m working with the NHS to make them more widely available, not just to people who can afford them.”
Going back to Cat’s point about offering them for children, he added: “But for children I think we can get this right first time if we do a whole range of things.”
He then explained that, with Joe’s help, they’ll work on getting kids more active. The government will also act on junk food ads that target children. He also pointed out about plans to make school meals more nutritious.
“It’s a really serious obesity crisis for our country,” he said.
Viewers react
However, although Cat was only playing devil’s advocate with her balanced questioning of the Health Secretary, some This Morning viewers were less than impressed that she’d asked if weight-loss jabs would be considered for children.
One commented: “Children do not need weight-loss jabs, just a good diet and exercise.”
“Did she seriously suggest weight loss jabs for children?” another asked. “Of course – it’s like they’re contractually obliged to mention it at least once per show,” said another.
Suggesting weight loss jabs for kids #thismorning pic.twitter.com/Ms66T52mom
— Cheryl (@CherylLFC70) July 15, 2025
‘Cosmetic cowboys’ clampdown
Elsewhere on the show, the hosts spoke to Ashley James and Sarah Jayne Dunn about the show’s new campaign to clamp down on so-called ‘cosmetic cowboys’, who perform botched cosmetic procedures. Streeting also commented on that, when asked by the hosts.
He said: “It’s really shocking and I take my hat off to the women that have been brave enough to sit on this sofa and share their stories in the media, to actually try and make sure this doesn’t happen to other women and to share those experiences which have been painful and harrowing to these women.”
Read more: This Morning viewers slam phone-in advice and urge sobbing woman to leave her husband
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