How far should the state interven in childhood obesity in the uk?

People on YA are always complaining about the"Nanny State" so I suppose they would say "let the kids get so fat that they explode then die - that's freedom of choice"

If you read the Daily Mail, on one page it says

"Nanny State wants to tell us what to eat now"

and on the next page

"Children now as fat as elephants - is the government to blame?"

I think foods with a higher sugar and/or fat content should be taxed, but you'll never get that past the Murdoch and Tesco lobby

If you consider that the League for the protection of Horses and the RSPCA can prosecute for overweight horses and other animals and fine/remove the animal/imprison for cruelty as well as underweight animals, why shouldn't there be a "fat police" that can do the same for children?
Does the government think more of animals than it does people??

As equally as far as they intervene in smoking cigarettes as being a health issue.

The state should not intervene. Successful parenting is raising children who are socially well adjusted, well educated and ready to proceed to adulthood. My parents followed that role perfectly. As children, my siblings and I were developed into successful adults. So in this situation all would lead one to believe that no intervention was needed. I was also a very fat child but my siblings were not. Did that occur because my parents were negligent in some manner? No. I simply loved to eat. I weighed over 200 by 4th grade and finished secondary school over 450. They made sure that all my meals were good healthy food. I did overeat but it was not due to any social or emotional issues. I simply loved eating and loved being very fat and obese. I am a well adjusted successful adult. I lost the weight in my 20s but decided in my early 40s that I was happiest when I was very fat and resumed gaining weight to go from 220 to 620 in 9 years or so. Was that due to the way my parents raised me? No. It was my choice. It was also my choice to be a very fat child. Kids know what they are and how they develop and will make choices that are right for them with appropriate parental nurturing.