MPs call on PM to prioritise obesity crisis
MPs have told Prime Minister Andy Burnham to make combating Britain’s obesity crisis a “clear personal mission”, reports BritPanorama.
This demand comes as MPs expressed concern over government plans they describe as a “moonshot” to tackle the crisis, arguing that the proposals “lack detail”.
The Commons Health and Social Care Committee has conveyed its “no faith” stance regarding the government’s ability to deliver on this strategy. While the objective has been labelled “laudable”, committee members have pointed out an “ongoing lack of detail on what the moonshot is and how it will be achieved”.
Last year, the government released a comprehensive 10-year health plan for England which included commitments to improve public health. Central to this effort is a pledge to “launch a moonshot to end the obesity epidemic,” which encompasses measures such as limiting junk food adverts aimed at children, banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to minors, and requiring large food companies to report on healthy food sales.
Originally, the strategy included plans to “reform” the soft drinks industry levy to encourage healthy product reformulation. However, this language was subsequently adjusted to “consider reforms”.
The committee has urged ministers to clearly define what “ending the obesity epidemic” entails, suggesting the establishment of an overall target for reducing obesity rates along with relevant milestones supported by an action plan.
“The Government last year declared its bold ambition to end the obesity epidemic, but it lacks a cohesive, coherent plan,” stated committee chairwoman Layla Moran.
Moran added, “An ambition without a plan risks sounding either naïve at best, or insincere at worst, and is bound to fail.”
She further elaborated, “The Government’s plan must tackle problems upstream and downstream. That’s why improving the care pathways and access to treatment must be twinned with determination to change the food environment.”
Moran concluded that this requires assertive regulation of the food industry, including stricter advertising rules and improved labelling on products, as well as targets for supermarkets to increase the sale of healthy foods and restrictions on fast food near schools.
Current statistics from the NHS reveal that three in ten (30%) adults aged 16 and older were classified as obese in 2024, and 66% fell into the overweight or obesity categories.
Last week, members of the committee also published a report advocating for a reassessment of the rollout of weight loss medications on the NHS, arguing that existing plans are “unambitious” and serve a “woefully small number of people”.
Only around 6% of eligible individuals are anticipated to receive Mounjaro (a GLP-1 weight loss drug) within its first three years on the NHS, leading many to seek private alternatives, which may establish a two-tier access system.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care responded, stating, “We have already restricted junk food advertising on television before 9pm and online, banned volume-price promotions on less healthy food and drink products, and given councils stronger powers to block new hot food takeaways near schools.”
“Alongside our focus on prevention, we are supporting those already living with obesity by expanding access to weight management support, including NHS weight loss drugs for those with the greatest clinical need,” they added.
Earlier this year, data indicated that the UK ranks among the highest in Europe for obesity rates. A report predicted that if no substantial action is taken, 220 million children globally will be categorised as obese by 2040.
Currently, around 180 million children worldwide are considered obese, with projections suggesting that by 2026, approximately 228 million children aged 5 to 19 may fit this classification. In the UK alone, about 3.8 million children within this age group have a high BMI, which means they are either overweight or obese — a figure that is roughly double the number found in France and Italy.
The discussion around the obesity epidemic underscores a profound need for cohesive policy action and accountability, as the implications of inaction continue to grow.
