3. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing: Healthy Weight, Healthy Wales 2022-2024

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:05 pm on 1 March 2022.

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Photo of Lynne Neagle Lynne Neagle Labour 3:05, 1 March 2022

The plan will build approaches across a range of our environments, from the way we eat and buy food out of the home to our educational and recreational settings in order to identify how we can make the healthy choice the easy choice. However, we have to be clear: we are trying to roll back established ways of living our lives that have built up over time and are having a negative impact on our health and well-being. I will be introducing a consultation in May that will consider proposals to improve the healthy weight environment. This will include areas such as price promotions, calorie labelling, planning, licensing and banning the sale of energy drinks to children. I am committed to take this forward at pace and introducing legislation within the lifetime of this delivery plan. I am also committed to undertake work to scope options around taxation powers, which will build upon positive shifts we have seen through the sugar levy.

Schools make a vital contribution to support lifelong healthy behaviours and can help reduce health inequalities. Extending the provision of free school meals to all primary school pupils, with children having access to two healthy meals a day alongside the free breakfast initiative, will help to support our aims. We will also be reviewing the school food regulations to ensure that school meals are able to take on board the latest scientific nutrition advice to provide healthier options.

We know that many of us are more inactive than ever. We will continue to invest in active travel and within our natural environment to ensure that people have access to opportunities to move in their everyday lives. We will continue to invest in community facilities to increase opportunities to be active.

Tackling health inequalities is at the heart of our delivery plan. Through our children and families pilot programmes taking place in Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil and Anglesey, we will work with families directly to provide parenting support on healthy practices and setting boundaries relating to food, as well as guidance on practical food preparation. The aim of these pilot projects is to demonstrate approaches that have shown evidence of success and are scalable.

A refreshed all-Wales weight management pathway will put in place equitable service provision across Wales. Investment will support health boards and partners to continue to build a multi-layered system, offering range of flexible support options for people to manage their weight. For the first time, there will be specialist level 3 children and families services, providing a multi-practitioner approach, including psychological support, to address the range of complex issues associated with obesity. In parallel to this support, there is ongoing development of services and approaches based upon early intervention, including specific approaches through maternity.

We will work closely with health boards on the delivery of services that offer the greatest impact and put in place a set of data requirements to measure change. I want to take the opportunity at this point to remind us all that tangible change around obesity will take time, but I am committed to putting in the structures to make the changes required.

We will also build a long-term behavioural change campaign. Work is already under way to develop an online, bilingual, trusted NHS website to provide weight management support to enable people to take more control over their own weight and health. This will align with the all-Wales weight management pathway.

The steps I've outlined today are just some of the examples of the depth of work taking place. I am committed to my central leadership role to drive the change we need. I will be chairing a revised national implementation board that will oversee delivery within the plan. This board will bring together key senior leaders from across Wales to ensure that we are delivering at pace and to provide the critical analysis we need to drive progress.

I am committed to drive change at all levels. We have to take a radical approach that will harness all of the levers at our disposal to help achieve the changes we need to see. Obesity is a serious threat to our nation's health that has been building for generations, and reversing this will not be an easy task. I intend to report back regularly to the Chamber on progress and am absolutely committed to working across parties to achieve our shared desire to see people live healthier, happier lives, wherever in Wales they live.