Latest News
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
posted on 12/03/2009
Q8 Lorraine Barrett: What is the Welsh Assembly Government doing to tackle childhood obesity in Wales?
Edwina Hart: The Exc, Exercise, Nutrition…Do it!childhood obesity programme was launched in January and will support 2,000 children and their families to manage their weight problems. A range of programmes to increase physical activity and encourage healthy eating among children and young people are also being delivered through the food and fitness implementation plan.
back to top | previous page
Lorraine Barrett: I welcome the initiatives that you have put in place. I wanted to emphasise this issue and ask whether you would consider it in terms of what can be done across the NHS, starting with new parents, maternity units and GPs and their various clinics, where parents and children go, as well as with hospitals. We could also work in partnership with schools, the youth service and the voluntary sector. We need to get the message across on sensible eating, but we do not need to go mad about these things. Sensible eating should be encouraged from as young an age as possible so that it is carried through the teenage years into adult life.
Edwina Hart: I have discussed with officials the better focusing of the Health Challenge Wales programmes on these issues and drawing on what goes on across other Government departments. I am happy to pick up those points as part of the work that I have asked officials to do. We have not drawn the strands together properly and we are not getting a big enough bang for the money that we are putting in to help people to change and move to a healthier lifestyle.
