The Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales Strategy is a 10-year plan to reduce and prevent obesity for the people of Wales. Supporting the Strategy will be five two-yearly delivery plans which will provide detail on the actions needed for a whole systems approach to make positive change. The first of five delivery plans was published in February 2020.
The ten year Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales Strategy was launched on 17 October 2019. The Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 placed a duty on the Welsh Ministers to publish a national strategy on preventing obesity, and reducing obesity levels in Wales. This includes a focus on diet, nutrition and physical activity. Prosperity for All makes a commitment to “support and encourage a substantial increase in people’s physical activity, adopting a collaborative approach from all agencies involved in the promotion of healthier lifestyles, and drawing on Wales’ significant natural resources.”
Obesity is complex and cannot be solved by the government or NHS working in isolation; the evidence available suggests a partnership and whole-systems approach is the only way to achieve positive change. A case for action on obesity was published by Public Health Wales in 2018. In line with the approach of A Healthier Wales, this is the first time that the Welsh Government has adopted a co-ordinated approach to tackling obesity.
Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales has a strong focus on prevention and will see initiatives from across government. The strategy is broken into four themes:
Healthy Environments: aims to support people to be able to make healthy choices. This will focus on changing the way we shop, the way we eat out, the way we travel, or how we use outdoor spaces.
Healthy Settings: will develop supportive environments to promote healthier choices. This includes childcare settings, schools and higher and further education, workplaces and community settings.
Healthy People: providing advice, information and support. This includes providing people with the opportunity to regularly discuss their lifestyle choices with health and care professionals.
Leadership and Enabling Change: to drive improved leadership and accountability to deliver Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales across all sectors.
The Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales 20-22 Delivery Plan was published in February 2020 and placed an emphasis on early years and with children and families in order to influence healthier choices. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the deliverables and cross-government proposals at this point have completely shifted, changed or programmes have been paused. Although the proposals set out in 2020-22 Delivery Plan remain a focus, a revised delivery plan for 2021-22 has been published to take account of any opportunities and challenges which will be taken forward as a consequence of the pandemic.
Further information about the Healthy Weight Healthy Wales Strategy can be found at
Healthy weight strategy (Healthy Weight Healthy Wales) | GOV.WALES
Alternatively please contact Eleri Carrington, Rheolwraig Strategaeth Pwysau Iach / Healthy Weight Strategy Manager
Y Gangen Byw’n Iach ac Egnïol / Healthy and Active Branch
Y Grwp Iechyd a Gwasanaethau / Health and Social Services Group
Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government