The Health and Social Care Select Committee has concluded that the UK government’s so‑called “moonshot ambition on obesity” is unlikely to achieve meaningful results unless it is substantially redesigned and led personally by the prime minister.
The criticism appears in a report assessing the 10‑year health plan for England, which set out a target to turn around rising obesity rates over the next decade. The committee, made up of MPs from across the political spectrum, found “no signs” that current measures will deliver significant progress.
The committee said the ambition is “doomed to fail” without a major rethink and a new implementation approach, including direct prime ministerial involvement. It called for clearer leadership and accountability at the highest level of government to drive the cross‑departmental action the report says will be required.
The findings are likely to intensify scrutiny of the government’s strategy for tackling obesity and place pressure on ministers to set out firmer plans and responsibilities. The committee’s assessment underscores the gap between high‑level targets in the 10‑year plan and the current trajectory of policy implementation, as judged by MPs from multiple parties.