Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 34 of Our plan to rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, published in May 2020, what preventative and personalised solutions his Department plans to implement for people with obesity; and if he will make a statement.

The Government will invest in preventative and personalised solutions to ill-health, empowering individuals to live healthier and more active lives. This will involve expanding the infrastructure for active travel, for example cycling and walking, and expanding health screening services, especially through the NHS Health Check programme, which is currently under review.

Public Health England led a rapid review to better understand how different factors can impact on how people are affected by COVID-19. This includes analysis of age, deprivation and obesity, where data was available. The review’s findings were published on 2 June and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomes

Many of the measures in the three chapters of the childhood obesity plan will have an impact on tackling obesity across all age groups. These include the soft drinks industry levy, sugar reduction and wider calorie reformulation programme, restricting promotions and calorie labelling in restaurants which will improve our eating habits and reduce the amount of sugar we consume.

There are ongoing discussions between Ministers and officials as part of developing and delivering the obesity programme.