Ministers have called on the prime minister to tackle obesity, claiming the government won’t meet its target to end the epidemic in England.
The Health and Social Care Committee said it had ‘no faith’ in the government’s plans to achieve the goal, which was set out in the 10 Year Health Plan.
In its final report on food and weight management, MPs called for clear targets and a cross-government action plan, with the Prime Minister leading efforts to reduce obesity.
The committee said more attention was needed on prevention, alongside long-term support for people already living with obesity, including access to weight-loss medication, surgery and behavioural support.
Research by Loughborough University contributed to the inquiry. Dr Claire Madigan and Dr Katelynn Slade, from its School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, submitted evidence alongside researchers from Newcastle University and the University of Oxford.
Dr Madigan said more needed to be done to help people maintain weight loss after treatment.
She said: ‘It is great that ministers are highlighting that obesity should be prioritised. It is a complex problem that cannot be fixed without focusing on the underlying causes of obesity and helping people who are already living with obesity to manage their weight.
‘We have successful ways to help people lose weight but our work on the SHARE study showed that the current system is not set up for preventing weight regain after weight loss.
‘This also applies to the anti-obesity medications as weight regain is even greater after completing the course of treatment. Greater focus on this area is important to potentially meet government targets and links with the prevention of obesity that the report recommends.
‘At CLiMB we want to help people live long happy lives and our work ranges from prevention, focusing on increasing physical activity in school children to offering weight management support before surgery. We welcome the health and social care report and look forward to continuing our work.’
NHS England figures show 30% of adults in England were living with obesity in 2024, with a further 36% overweight. Among children aged 13 to 15, 28% were overweight or living with obesity.
Obesity is estimated to cost the UK economy £74.3bn a year, including £11.4bn to the NHS, according to research cited by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Image: Joachim Schnürle/UnSplash
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