Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of high rates of childhood obesity on future diabetes rates; and what assessment they have made of the impact that this will have on the NHS's future spend on diabetes.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has data from national diabetes audits showing the increasing numbers of young people being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes over the past five years. NHS England knows that 93.5% of children with Type 2 diabetes that are under the care of paediatric diabetes units are overweight or obese, with a body mass index above the 85th centile after correction for age and gender.
Core20PLUS5 – Children and Young People includes diabetes as a key clinical area and has two key areas of clinical focus, namely to increase access to real time continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pumps for children and young people in the most deprived quintiles and from ethnic minority backgrounds, and increase the proportion of children and young people with Type 2 diabetes receiving all the care processes recommended in guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Key diabetes health metrics, such as blood glucose levels, are poorest in young adults aged between 19 and 25 years old. To address this age-related health inequality, 15 ‘Transition and Young Adult’ pilots were established by the NHS Diabetes Programme in 2022-2025 to test models of care for young adults with diabetes and those transitioning from paediatric to adult diabetes services. The pilots will be evaluated to inform the evidence base on how to best deliver care and improve outcomes for this group.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Tier 2 weight management services are sufficiently (a) resourced and (b) integrated with (i) primary care networks, (ii) community health hubs and (iii) other relevant providers to offer comprehensive support for people living with obesity.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Health Service and local government provide a range of free tier two weight management services (WMS), to help eligible people living with obesity to lose weight. These are multi-component programmes, including dietary approaches and physical activity, with behaviour change support. The length of support can vary, but guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence suggests these should last at least three months.
The NHS offers the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, which is a tier two service aimed at adults living with obesity, who also have type 2 diabetes or hypertension, or both, as well as NHS staff living with obesity. The 12-week programme is directly commissioned and managed by NHS England nationally, and is available via direct referral from any general practice or Community Pharmacy
Local authorities are able to spend funding from the Public Health Grant on weight management services in line with local population need. They may be delivered as a standalone service or as part of an integrated service, for example with smoking cessation support. Where local authorities commission these services, they are responsible for determining the required resourcing and interaction with other services, along with weight management service providers
Local authorities are part of integrated care systems (ICSs), which are partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area. ICS membership also includes the NHS, social care providers, charities, and other organisations. Being a member of the ICS will help local authorities to work more closely with partner organisations and offer integrated support for people living with obesity.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate oversight of how primary care settings deliver equitable access to weight management services in line with NICE Guidance.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide a range of Weight Management Services (WMS) to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. Generally, WMS delivered in the community are behavioural services provided by local authorities or the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme, rather than in primary care.
Local commissioners and WMS providers are expected to take National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences, and values of their patients or service users. The NICE’s guidelines provide recommendations on best practice in terms of both the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions and services. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, although health and care commissioners are expected to take them fully into account.
Although primary care services are not a main provider of WMS, general practice (GP) is an important source of referrals to WMS. The Department funds the GP Weight Management Enhanced Service, which incentivises GPs to develop and implement a proactive approach to identifying and engaging with patients living with obesity, including the referral to WMS where appropriate. The service delivery specification for this enhanced service includes minimum standards such as undertaking training to have sensitive conversations about weight, and the review and restoration of the practice obesity register.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to weight management services in areas of socioeconomic deprivation.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. These range from behavioural weight management programmes to specialist services for those living with obesity and associated co-morbidities.
Local authorities are able to spend funding from the Public Health Grant on behavioural weight management services in line with local population need, including in areas of socioeconomic deprivation. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning NHS specialist weight management services in line with local population need, as well as determining the criteria for access to these services in line with relevant guidance.
NHS England commissions the Digital Weight Management Programme nationally for people living with obesity and an existing comorbidity of either diabetes, or hypertension, or both. The 12-week programme is available via direct referral from any general practice or Community Pharmacy.
The programme provides three levels of intervention at varying intensities, and patients less likely to complete a behavioural programme of this nature, for instance those of a younger age, from ethnic minority backgrounds, from a more deprived area, or who are male, are offered a higher level of intervention and support to retain their engagement on the programme. Approximately 50% of total referrals are from the two most deprived socioeconomic quintiles.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress NHS England has made on integrating Wegovy to existing weight management structures within primary care settings.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on semaglutide, the active ingredient in wegovy, for managing overweight and obesity was published in March 2023, and updated in September 2023. It recommends semaglutide as a treatment option for patients that meet specified eligibility criteria, and recommends that the treatment is provided within specialist weight management services. These services are typically provided in secondary rather than primary care settings. The Government is committed to the safe introduction of new weight loss drugs into the National Health Service, and is exploring ways to increase access to more people, who meet the relevant eligibility criteria.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help support parents of children up to the age of five to tackle childhood obesity.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are taking strong action to support children and their families in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight. The Government is investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. The programme will implement many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children, and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation.
The funding package includes £50 million to invest in infant feeding services, which will enable participating local authorities to design and deliver a blended offer of advice and support, in line with local needs.
We support more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Scheme. We also support parents with primary aged children in England to eat well, and move more, through Better Health Families. This includes healthy eating advice and easy recipes, a Food Scanner app to help families to swap less healthy foods and drinks to healthier alternatives, and the Healthy Steps email-programme to inspire and support parents to take easy steps to improve their families' health and wellbeing.
We work with the Department for Education to ensure that children are provided healthy food options in early years settings, and in school. For children aged zero to five years old, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework states that where children are provided with meals, snacks, and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious. The Eat Better, Start Better guidelines and example menus support parents, carers, and anyone working with children to provide healthy food options.
The School Food Standards are set in legislation and require that school caterers serve healthy and nutritious food and drinks, to ensure children get the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day. Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar are restricted. We are also helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network.
In addition, primary school children are educated about healthy eating through the relationships, sex, and health education curriculum. By the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet, the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and risks associated with unhealthy eating. We have programmes to identify children living with excess weight, and local authorities and the National Health Service in England provide weight management services.
The National Child Measurement Programme monitors the weight status of children at the start and end of primary school. The programme provides is a useful prompt to parents and schools to support healthy eating and physical activity. Data is used to help local authorities plan healthy weight, food and activity support and services for children and their families.
Local authorities can fund weight management services to support children and families, to achieve a healthier weight from their Public Health Grant. The NHS has commissioned a number of Complications from Excess Weight clinics across England for children and young people living with complications related to severe obesity. We are also delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthier weight.
Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt in key selling locations, came into force on 1 October 2022. We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price, for instance three for two offers, and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9:00pm on television. We will also be implementing restrictions on paid for online advertising for less healthy products, from 1 October 2025.
We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she taking to help support parents to tackle obesity in their children.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are taking strong action to support children and their families in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight. The Government is investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. The programme will implement many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children, and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation.
The funding package includes £50 million to invest in infant feeding services, which will enable participating local authorities to design and deliver a blended offer of advice and support, in line with local needs.
We support more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Scheme. We also support parents with primary aged children in England to eat well, and move more, through Better Health Families. This includes healthy eating advice and easy recipes, a Food Scanner app to help families to swap less healthy foods and drinks to healthier alternatives, and the Healthy Steps email-programme to inspire and support parents to take easy steps to improve their families' health and wellbeing.
We work with the Department for Education to ensure that children are provided healthy food options in early years settings, and in school. For children aged zero to five years old, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework states that where children are provided with meals, snacks, and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious. The Eat Better, Start Better guidelines and example menus support parents, carers, and anyone working with children to provide healthy food options.
The School Food Standards are set in legislation and require that school caterers serve healthy and nutritious food and drinks, to ensure children get the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day. Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar are restricted. We are also helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network.
In addition, primary school children are educated about healthy eating through the relationships, sex, and health education curriculum. By the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet, the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and risks associated with unhealthy eating. We have programmes to identify children living with excess weight, and local authorities and the National Health Service in England provide weight management services.
The National Child Measurement Programme monitors the weight status of children at the start and end of primary school. The programme provides is a useful prompt to parents and schools to support healthy eating and physical activity. Data is used to help local authorities plan healthy weight, food and activity support and services for children and their families.
Local authorities can fund weight management services to support children and families, to achieve a healthier weight from their Public Health Grant. The NHS has commissioned a number of Complications from Excess Weight clinics across England for children and young people living with complications related to severe obesity. We are also delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthier weight.
Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt in key selling locations, came into force on 1 October 2022. We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price, for instance three for two offers, and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9:00pm on television. We will also be implementing restrictions on paid for online advertising for less healthy products, from 1 October 2025.
We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle obesity in primary school children.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are taking strong action to support children and their families in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight. The Government is investing approximately £300 million to improve support for families though the joint Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Education Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. The programme will implement many elements of the Best Start for Life Vision and is delivering a step change in outcomes for babies, children, and their parents and carers in 75 local authorities in England, including those with high levels of deprivation.
The funding package includes £50 million to invest in infant feeding services, which will enable participating local authorities to design and deliver a blended offer of advice and support, in line with local needs.
We support more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Scheme. We also support parents with primary aged children in England to eat well, and move more, through Better Health Families. This includes healthy eating advice and easy recipes, a Food Scanner app to help families to swap less healthy foods and drinks to healthier alternatives, and the Healthy Steps email-programme to inspire and support parents to take easy steps to improve their families' health and wellbeing.
We work with the Department for Education to ensure that children are provided healthy food options in early years settings, and in school. For children aged zero to five years old, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework states that where children are provided with meals, snacks, and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious. The Eat Better, Start Better guidelines and example menus support parents, carers, and anyone working with children to provide healthy food options.
The School Food Standards are set in legislation and require that school caterers serve healthy and nutritious food and drinks, to ensure children get the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day. Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar are restricted. We are also helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network.
In addition, primary school children are educated about healthy eating through the relationships, sex, and health education curriculum. By the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet, the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and risks associated with unhealthy eating. We have programmes to identify children living with excess weight, and local authorities and the National Health Service in England provide weight management services.
The National Child Measurement Programme monitors the weight status of children at the start and end of primary school. The programme provides is a useful prompt to parents and schools to support healthy eating and physical activity. Data is used to help local authorities plan healthy weight, food and activity support and services for children and their families.
Local authorities can fund weight management services to support children and families, to achieve a healthier weight from their Public Health Grant. The NHS has commissioned a number of Complications from Excess Weight clinics across England for children and young people living with complications related to severe obesity. We are also delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthier weight.
Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt in key selling locations, came into force on 1 October 2022. We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price, for instance three for two offers, and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9:00pm on television. We will also be implementing restrictions on paid for online advertising for less healthy products, from 1 October 2025.
We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure health intervention programmes have a focus on reducing adult obesity.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment, to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt in key selling locations came into force on 1 October 2022. We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price, for instance three for two offers, and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9:00pm on television. We will also be implementing restrictions on paid for online advertising for less healthy products, from 1 October 2025.
We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices, and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.
We are also supporting more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Schemes, and helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network. In addition, local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services and the NHS Health Check Programme, to support their communities in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help tackle childhood obesity.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment, to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt in key selling locations came into force on 1 October 2022. We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price, for instance three for two offers, and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9:00pm on television. We will also be implementing restrictions on paid for online advertising for less healthy products, from 1 October 2025.
We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices, and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.
We are also supporting more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Schemes, and helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network. In addition, local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services and the NHS Health Check Programme, to support their communities in achieving and maintaining a healthier weight.