A cross-party committee of MPs has said it has “no faith” in the Government’s ability to deliver its ambition to end England’s obesity epidemic without major changes to its approach. The Health and Social Care Committee is calling for the Prime Minister to take direct responsibility for coordinating a national strategy.
Committee questions Government’s plan
In its report published on 30 October 2026, The obesity moonshot: making obesity a political priority, the committee argues that ministers have not sufficiently defined what ending the obesity epidemic means, how progress will be measured or how different departments will coordinate their work. The assessment is the committee’s criticism of the policy, not an independent determination that every existing measure has failed.
MPs demand prime ministerial oversight
The report recommends that Prime Minister Andy Burnham chair a new Cabinet committee to coordinate action across departments. It also calls for a cross-government action plan to be presented to Parliament within three months, defining the objective and setting an overall target and measurable milestones. These are recommendations: the Government has not yet agreed to establish the proposed committee.
Obesity figures underline the challenge
According to NHS England figures cited by MPs, 30% of adults in England were living with obesity in 2024 and a further 36% were overweight. Among children aged 13 to 15, 28% were overweight or obese. The committee argues that the scale of the issue requires long-term prevention and treatment measures.
Food advertising and treatment both in focus
MPs want a strategy that addresses the wider food environment, including advertising and promotion of unhealthy food, clearer labelling, healthier supermarket sales and the location of fast-food outlets near schools. They also want better access to sustained weight-management support, including behavioural programmes, medicines and surgery where clinically appropriate. The proposals are not new legal restrictions taking effect today.
Economic costs cited
The Department of Health and Social Care has cited research estimating the annual economic and social cost of obesity at £74.3 billion, including £11.4 billion in NHS costs and £8.9 billion in business costs. Much of the wider estimate reflects reduced quality of life; it is not a direct annual Treasury expenditure figure.
Government points to existing measures
The Department of Health and Social Care has highlighted restrictions on unhealthy-food advertising and promotions, support for local authorities and expanded NHS weight-management services. The committee’s objection is that the individual initiatives are not yet supported by a sufficiently coherent, measurable delivery plan.
What happens next?
The committee has requested a detailed plan within three months and will expect the Government to respond to its recommendations. Until then, the call for a Prime Minister-chaired Cabinet committee remains a parliamentary proposal rather than an adopted policy.