With the 10-Year NHS Plan expected soon, the Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO) has written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, outlining six priority actions for embedding obesity prevention and care within a long-term health strategy.
Obesity remains one of the most complex and urgent public health challenges. The forthcoming NHS plan represents a critical opportunity to implement a whole-systems, evidence-informed approach that addresses prevention, treatment, and the wider determinants of health.
ASO’s six priority actions:
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Establish obesity as a strategic priority – recognising it as a chronic, relapsing condition requiring comprehensive care pathways from prevention through to treatment.
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Commit to sustainable funding – ensuring protected investment in evidence-based prevention programmes.
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Expand specialist weight management services – to address existing inequalities in access to treatment.
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Invest in healthcare professional training to improve understanding of obesity and deliver non-stigmatising care.
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Support research and innovation – in prevention strategies, treatment approaches, and digital health solutions.
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Collaborate across government departments – using a ‘health in all policies’ approach to address the wider determinants of obesity and draw on best practice across the UK.
ASO Acting President Professor Emilie Combet wrote:
“By placing prevention and obesity at the forefront of the NHS strategy, you have an opportunity to transform population health, reduce health inequalities, and create a more sustainable healthcare system for future generations.”
ASO has offered to meet with the Secretary of State or his team to discuss how the organisation’s collective expertise – spanning research, clinical practice, and policy – can help shape an effective, evidence-based approach to obesity within the 10-year plan.
