The government has launched a £372m strategy to help cut obesity levels in England.

The long-term strategy, published by health secretary Alan Johnson and schools secretary Ed Balls, aims to make England “the first major nation to reverse the rising tide of obesity”.

The plan is targeted at schools, the NHS, employers, town planners and individuals. The scheme includes a £75m ad campaign, an improvement of cycling facilities and the creation of “healthy towns”, which will promote physical activity.

The government also wants to introduce compulsory cooking lessons in schools, and curb the number of fast-food outlets near school buildings.

The Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “Our ambition is that by 2020 we will not only have reversed the trend in rising obesity and overweight among children but also reduced it back to the 2000 levels. And while our focus is rightly on children, we need to see progress on rates of obesity in adults as well.

“This is an ambitious goal, but achievable if we recognise the desire of people to live healthy lives and respond to it with the opportunities and information people need and expect.”

Currently, almost two-thirds of adults and a third of children are either overweight or obese. Experts believe that by 2050, nine in 10 adults and two thirds of children will be obese if no action is taken.

Photograph: www.istock.com, Brian Toro