Urgent action needed to tackle Wales’ obesity crisis

The Welsh Government must show stronger leadership in driving the changes needed to tackle the growing problem of obesity in Wales, says the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee.

62% of adults in Wales are overweight or obese, and 26% are obese, according to previous reports. Around 25% of children are overweight or obese by the time they start school.

However, the true scale of the problem may be even higher. If Wales applied the same measurement adjustments used in England and Scotland, the adult obesity rate could be as high as 34% – the highest in the UK.

‘Neglecting a generation’

Peter Fox MP, Chair of the Senedd’s Health and Social Care Committee, said: “Obesity is recognised as one of the most significant public health challenges, both in the UK and internationally.

“It is a key risk factor for a wide range of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, including stroke, and some cancers. It also affects people’s well-being, their quality of life, and their ability to work.

“The number of cases is increasing in Wales, as elsewhere, with much higher levels of obesity in the most deprived communities.

“The cost to the NHS is already £73 million a year, according to previous reports, and this is predicted to rise to around £465 million by 2050. We cannot afford to wait. The Welsh Government must act now to reduce waiting times for weight management services, ensure consistent provision for children and adults across all health boards, and adopt a whole-system preventative approach that provides compassionate and dignified support to people throughout their lives.

“We also need better data to understand the true scale of the problem. Without urgent action, we risk neglecting a generation and putting even more pressure on our health services.”

The Committee heard that the Welsh Government’s strategy, Healthy Weight: A Healthy Wales to prevent and reduce obesity, despite awareness of it, had failed in its implementation. There is a lack of leadership and clarity about who is responsible for delivering it. The strategy is failing to achieve its ambition, with long waiting times of up to five years for some support services for adults to control weight, and no provision at all for children and young people in some health boards.

The Committee encourages the Welsh Government to demonstrate stronger leadership and cross-sector accountability over the strategy and to publish regular updates on progress.

Initiatives 

In the absence of health services, people turn to other initiatives for help in improving their physical and mental health. The MAN v FAT Football team in Newport is part of a UK wide network that supports men to lose weight, be healthier and enjoy football.

“Since joining the team it has changed my life completely,” said David Quinn, who has been a member of the Newport group for six years, and now coaches a team in Bridgend.

“I’ve gone from almost never leaving the house and weighing over 200kg, to losing almost 35% of my body weight, losing almost 70kg of weight now. Not only that, since becoming a trainer, I can now help other men follow the same journey.”

David was attracted to the scheme because of his love of football and says there is a lack of awareness of services.

“A lot of work could be done to direct people towards services,” said David. “There are initiatives out there, but they need to promote good habits and make weight loss sustainable. The community is important too, and it helps so much with mental health which goes hand in hand.”

Tackling waiting times and reducing stigma

Along with a lack of services, long delays – sometimes up to five years – mean people miss out on vital help when they need it most. At the same time, stigma in healthcare settings can prevent individuals from seeking help.

The Health and Social Care Committee is calling for urgent action to expand services and ensure that compassionate, non-judgmental care is incorporated across the system.

Recommendations

Other key recommendations of the Committee’s report include:

• Reduce waiting times for weight management services and ensure consistent provision for children, young people and adults across all health boards.
• Adopt an integrated approach to weight and lifestyle management throughout life, integrating physical, mental and emotional support.
• Ensure medical interventions , including weight loss medication, are accompanied by ongoing guidance on nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle changes.
• Improve data accuracy by applying adjustments to self-reported height and weight data, in line with methods used in other UK countries to more accurately reflect obesity rates.
• Stigma training to address discrimination and negative stereotypes across healthcare settings. Stigma can prevent people from seeking help and a compassionate approach to weight management is needed. The Welsh Government should confirm whether stigma training has been made available to all health boards.

The Committee’s report has been sent to the Welsh Government for a response, and a debate will be organized in the Senedd in due course.