Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee will be investigating the prevention and treatment of obesity following the Government’s pledge to “launch a moonshot to end the obesity epidemic” in its 10 Year Health Plan.
The cross-party group of MPs will look at what public health interventions have been the most effective at reducing obesity and the consumption of less healthy foods, along with why previous policies related to food and diet have failed in reducing obesity rates.
The inquiry will also explore what more the Government and food sector can do to address social inequalities, with the aim of improving access to affordable, healthy food.
In addition, MPs will assess the treatment offered to those who are overweight or living with obesity and the challenges and opportunities weight loss medications present to the NHS and public.
Although an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK are using weight management medications, the Government’s 10-year plan raised concerns over unequal access to these jabs due to cost.
The Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry will delve into whether weight loss injections are cost-effective to the NHS and how they compare on this front to other treatments. They will also turn their attention to how well weight management services are functioning in the NHS and whether they provide fair access to treatment.
The Committee has launched a call for evidence and a survey, which will inform this inquiry. It is also inviting written evidence submissions to a range of questions, such as why existing policies related to food have not succeeded and what changes might be needed in the future.
