The UK Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO) is deeply concerned by the current UK Government narrative concerning the scaling back of existing obesity prevention commitments. The ASO alongside other leading health charities, medical organisations, health professionals and patients wrote to the Prime Minister in September 2022 as part of the Obesity Health Alliance demanding urgent action. In October 2022, the Prime Minister's speech at the Conservative Party conference showed no signs of The Government taking our collective concerns on board.
Dr Nicola Heslehurst, Chair of the ASO and Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University said “Liz Truss appears to be about to walk away from key evidence-based commitments that have taken years of careful consensus to reach, putting in jeopardy the progress we have made as a nation on obesity prevention. Decades of evidence support the UK Obesity Plan, and a decision to abandon that commitment would have a negative impact on child health, public health and health inequalities - for years to come.
Addressing the impact of obesity in the general population is complex. No one solution exists; prevention requires a whole systems approach and national policy action. The Obesity Plan included a strong, evidence-based health policy commitment from the UK Government, and although there is clearly more to be done, was supported by ASO.
The previous Government’s commitment led the World Health Organisation to classify the UK as a “front runner” country for accelerated action on obesity treatment and prevention. Any reversal of the evidence-based Obesity Plan by this Government would be a threat to our global leadership position on this critical matter."
Read the full position statement for key arguments for The Government sticking to (and building on) their evidence-based Obesity Plan.