The Life Chances of People

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:39 pm on 12 March 2019.

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Photo of Mohammad Asghar Mohammad Asghar Conservative 1:39, 12 March 2019

First Minister, social class, household income and personal wealth all affect someone's life chances and influence their chances at schools, their lifestyle and how long they'll live. You've just mentioned the Japanese experience. Figures released by Public Health Wales, from the child measurement programme, show that more than 1,000 children in Wales starting school are classed as severely obese. The figures were highest for those living in the most deprived areas in Wales, such as Merthyr Tydfil—the highest rate of severe child obesity in Wales is in Merthyr. If things continue as they are, this current generation of children could well be the first to live a shorter life than their parents. That's a dismal figure—that's a very sad story. Will the First Minister agree to review his Government obesity strategy in the light of these findings to see what more can be done to address the problem of children from poorer backgrounds being dangerously overweight in Wales?