The British Columbia government plans to spend $400,000 a year on a new centre to combat the growing problem of childhood obesity in the province.

Gordon Hogg, minister of state for ActNow B.C., made the announcement Thursday at the Childhood and Adolescent Obesity Conference in Vancouver.

The new Centre for Healthy Weights is based at B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver and will treat up to 200 families every year.

The program is designed to help children and families change their lifestyles through counselling, diet and exercise.

Recent statistics reveal that nearly 25 per cent of Canadian children are considered overweight or obese. Hogg said the government is looking at a holistic approach to address the issue.

"I think it is frightening to think that the next generation of children will be the first generation to not live longer than their parents," he said.

Junk food tax?

Hogg also floated the idea of a "junk food tax" as a way of dealing with what he calls an urgent health crisis.

"It's something we're currently looking at as an issue and a possibility," he said.

However, Finance Minister Carole Taylor said while the idea of a junk food or fat tax is interesting, it might be difficult to implement in the real world.

"As a theoretical idea, I think it has some appeal," Taylor said. "In terms of how you would practically do it, I think there'd have to be a lot of thought about that."

Taylor added that if there were any way to get more trans fats out of our diet, she'd be in favour of it.