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Two thirds of people in Wales overweight or obese the fault of the Welsh Government say Conservatives

14 Mar 2022 2 minute read
James Evans MS speaking in the Senedd. Picture by Senedd TV.

Two-thirds of people in Wales are overweight or obese today because the Welsh Government have failed to tackle the problem, a Conservative Senedd Member has said.

Brecon and Radnorshire member James Evans said that obesity was a “major issue” facing Wales that devolution had failed to tackle.

Writing in the Western Mail he said that “Labour ministers and some of their nationalist helpers in Plaid Cymru” had rejected Conservative attempts to mitigate the problem.

“If Labour ministers had taken meaningful action years ago, we wouldn’t be in a position today where two-thirds of people in Wales are obese or overweight.

“Obesity is projected to cost our Welsh NHS £465 million a year by 2050, but almost £2.4 billion to the Welsh economy and society as a whole.

“For more than twenty years, Labour ministers have talked about obesity in the Senedd. They’ve created strategies and had public consultations, but things are still getting worse.”

He said that there were warnings that children would live shorter lives than their parents due to obesity.

“Obesity is a major issue facing our country, but sadly the Labour administration doesn’t seem to be treating it with the seriousness it deserves judging by their lack of robust action,” he said.

“Although the Cardiff Bay government has launched several initiatives to prevent and reduce obesity, it appears little progress has been made in three years to ingrain healthy habits into residents.

“The lack of drive and ambition from ministers to improve weight services was seen only a few weeks ago during a Welsh Conservative Senedd debate.

“We wanted to see the Labour government urgently reopen weight management services which were paused during the pandemic, making sure they are properly funded and during this health crisis look at expanding services.”


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Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

Surely this person is wearing blinkers in trying to blame Labour for the state of RT Davies?

David Smith
David Smith
2 years ago

As a former Food Advisor to Welsh Government the MS is correct to claim more should be done by Welsh Government. However, this can only be marginal when the key levers for addressing growing obesity and inequality lie with the UK Government, especially the UK Treasury.

Richard
Richard
2 years ago
Reply to  David Smith

David you are right on the prevention message side but any number of campaigns are useless if up against the multi national sugar drug pushers, an almost free pass for junk food outlets plus a free for all multi media advertising industry of spondorship and product placement.

Richard
Richard
2 years ago

What a load of old rot !! Most of us who have been over weight are to blame ourselves unfortunatly.

The mass sugar push from big business has a degree of blame for certain…..

…the allowing of fast food outlets all over the place also yes ..by Councils……,placements on prine time TV allowed by the UK Gvts appointees 100 pee cent ….

BUT. The Welsh Gvt ??

they through NHS Cymru just pick up the pieces of diabetic, heart, vision and blood pressure issues..,

Mr Evans needs to stick to his farming interests.

Twm Sion catti
Twm Sion catti
2 years ago
Reply to  Richard

MR Evans isn’t much use at representing his farming interests either

I.Humphrys
I.Humphrys
2 years ago

Poorer people have fatty diets. Same everywhere. The current crisis may well lead to food shortages which will sort things out? Institutions cannot be blamed, unless this is the first sign of rationing to come?

Cynan
Cynan
2 years ago
Reply to  I.Humphrys

“Poorer people”? Really? ReTweet is a de facto lord of the manor. Doctor Jamie Wallis of Brexitgend is poor is he?
That is a lie perpetuated by the bigoted middle classes who themselves are not exactly svelte. Way more fatties walking around Sainsburys and M&S than Lidl and Aldi

Grayham Jones
2 years ago

It’s the Obest people problem not The Welsh Government problem people don’t have to eat the rubbish from Take Aways I’m 76 years old and always looked after my self I walk about 7 miles a day and cook all my own food

Richard
Richard
2 years ago
Reply to  Grayham Jones

Da Iawn Grayham – stay fit – Cymru ( wales ) needs you mate …..🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿✅

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

I would like to point out that we’re not all complete idiots in Brecon and Radnorshire, but we do have more than our fair share,

Paul
Paul
2 years ago

Ok … Am I getting this right … Half the Tory shadow cabinet, including RT Davies himself, are morbidly obese because of policies shooter by Drakeford?

Doctor Trousers
2 years ago

Two thirds of the population of Wales is overweight or obese. Two thirds rounded up is 67%, though as he’s not quoted an actual percentage, it could easily be a couple of percent less than that. In January 2021, 64% of the population of England was overweight or obese. So likely less than a 3% difference, which can more or less be written off by the margin of error, considering we’re comparing a population of 3.17 million to a population of 56 million. I’m also not necessarily comparing from the same data sets or the same time period, just taking… Read more »

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

Welsh obesity is the result of poverty created by Westminster neglect. There is a proven correlation between the two. Gain independence and we have a chance to increase the wealth of people in Wales and eventually reduce obesity.

Glen
Glen
2 years ago

We have minimum pricing for alcohol so why not for junk food?
Obesity is a far bigger problem than alcoholism, it also affects the youngest in society and is a far bigger burden on the NHS than booze.

Is it because we have so many MS’s who are grossly overweight.

Martin Hughes
Martin Hughes
2 years ago

Sadly James Evans MS does not state the sources for his claim, and trying to use the serious issue of obesity as a political point scoring opportunity against devolution and the Welsh Government, without mentioning how bad obesity is across the border. If he had bothered to study the House of Commons Library briefing paper  Number 3336, 12 January 2021  Obesity Statistics https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn03336/ or other research, it would have been obvious that obesity is a UK problem and that the 4 nations are broadly comparable regardless of devolution. He needs to get his Westminster Government to focus on reforming the food… Read more »

Vaughan gething
Vaughan gething
2 years ago

How much of this was caused by drakeford banning parkruns?

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

None whatsoever you toxic muppet!
It’s poverty.

Mark drakeford
Mark drakeford
2 years ago
Reply to  Erisian

must have contributed though when our leader says exercise is banned.

Cynan
Cynan
2 years ago

Have you SEEN the Tory cabinet in Westmonster? Jamie Wallis? Even the Tory opposition in y Senedd? Re-Tweet?
And this is all the fault of Welsh Labour?
Where do they get these bizarre ideas from?

Gavin
Gavin
2 years ago

It doesn’t help that every gym, hospital and possibly even schools (I haven’t been in one for a while, there was talk of removing them) have vending machines that are stacked full of chocolates and junk food.

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

Yeh sure…. Just like my depression is the fault of a blithering idiot in Downing Street

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