Statement: Response to Kings Fund report on tackling obesity

Responding to the Kings Fund report on tackling obesity.

There has always been a strong link between poverty and obesity. COVID-19 has brought this home in the starkest possible terms with excess weight increasing the risk of serious illness and death.  

The King’s Fund report reinforces the case for making this a change moment when it comes to reducing obesity. The upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review provides an opportunity for the government to invest in local public health leadership and approaches proportionate to the needs of every community.  

We cannot simply keep treating the symptoms of excess weight, we must address the conditions that cause it – a range of structural factors that promote unhealthy diet, undermine the adoption of healthy eating and hinder the ability to be physically active.