A Healthy High Streets Challenge has been launched in Haringey.

Fast food shops, businesses, residents and community groups were invited to submit ideas on what they think will help children and families make healthier choices.

Healthy London Partnership is working with the people who thought up the best ideas so they can be piloted on the high street for two months later this year.

Jemma Gilbert, director of prevention at Healthy London Partnership, said: “We need to change the face of London high streets and we know this is best done with the businesses who know their customers best and the families, community groups and residents who know their high streets best.

“We’ll be piloting the winning ideas from the Healthy High Streets Challenge, which include young volunteers working with local food cafes to develop affordably priced, healthy children and young people’s menus, a chicken shop business creating and launching a healthy children’s menu, communal lunches at a tenants’ hall and cooking classes for parents and carers.

“Londoners have told us in no uncertain terms that childhood obesity is a major concern for them and that they want to see changes that will help children and young people in London lead healthier lives.

“We recognise their concerns especially with regards to the abundance of fast food shops, the difficulties and costs of finding healthy food and the advertising of high fat and sugary food and drink. "

“I want to thank all Londoners who took part in the Great Weight Debate.

"We know that there isn’t just one silver bullet to tackling childhood obesity and the views of Londoners who took part in the Great Weight Debate are now being used to inform the many next steps London is taking to help make it easier for our children and young people to lead healthier lives.”

London has a greater number of overweight children than New York, Sydney, Paris or Madrid.

Over a third are overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school.