DoH sponsors The Simpsons as part of anti-obesity initiative

The Department of Health is sponsoring The Simpsons on Channel 4 as part of the £75 million Change4Life initiative. Change4Life aims to inspire a society-wide "movement" that encourages everyone to make changes to their diet and activity levels. It focuses on long-term prevention, so in the early stages is targeting families with young children (aged 0-11).

Change4Life will reposition the issue of obesity, says the Department of Health, highlighting to parents the links between poor diet and sedentary lifestyles and preventable illnesses and their responsibility to ensure their children eat better and take regular exercise. It will offer accessible, friendly and encouraging support to implement changes. In a statement, Public Health Minister Gillian Merron said: "We are serious about tackling obesity and supporting people to improve their health, and always look for new and innovative ways of doing this with our target audience. "The Simpsons are a much-loved close-knit family facing some of the everyday challenges that modern day families go     through. "Whilst they certainly make some questionable choices about how they go about things, they provide a popular and engaging way to get the message to real-life families about simple ways of improving their diet and activity for a healthier lifestyle".