Burnham urged to save England’s “doomed to fail” obesity plan

Andy Burnham should make tackling England’s obesity epidemic his “clear, personal mission” because current plans to redress the problem are “doomed to fail,” MPs warned.A “moonshot to end the obesity epidemic” was promised in the 2025 10 Year Health Plan1 but the cross-party Health and Social Care Committee of MPs say they have “no faith” that this will happen.In a report they said that the prime minister must personally take charge of action on obesity by bringing together government departments and political parties.2 “The government needs to clearly define what ending the obesity epidemic means, including an overall target for reducing rates of obesity and relevant milestones,” the report states.Latest NHS England data show that 30% of adults in England in 2024 had obesity, and a further 36% had overweight, while 28% of children aged 13 to 15 had either overweight or obesity.Layla Moran, committee chair, said, “The government last…