Obesity Alliance Cymru

Obesity Alliance Cymru is a group of leading national charities, professional bodies, campaign groups and membership bodies working together to support public health in Wales. The Obesity Alliance Cymru is a forum for organisations to collaborate and influence policy on preventing and reducing obesity in Wales. 

Obesity is one of Wales’s biggest public health challenges

Today, the majority of adults in Wales (66% of men and 56% of women) are above a healthy weight, and over a quarter are living with obesity (22% of men and 26% of women). The problem extends to children too, with 27% of children above a healthy weight. Obesity is much more prevalent among adults in more socio-economically deprived areas. Obesity among adults in the most deprived groups in Wales is 32% compared with 20% in the least deprived groups. Childhood obesity may appear to have levelled off and even reduced in the more affluent subsections of society, but prevalence has increased in deprived populations and in some minority ethnic groups. For example, in Wales, 17.2% of children aged 4-5 in the Merthyr Tydfil were living with obesity in 2018/19 compared to 7.8% in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Obesity Policy in Wales

Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales is the Welsh Government's 10-year plan to prevent and reduce obesity. The OAC worked with the Welsh Government on the development of HWHW and The 2022 to 2024 delivery plan. As part of this plan, the Welsh Government published two Consultations in June 2022 on the Healthy Food Environment and ending the sale of energy drinks to under 16’s.

• OAC Response to the Healthy Food Environment 
• OAC Response to proposals to end the sale of energy drinks to children under 16’s
• OAC Briefing
• OAC myth busting prevention and obesity English
• OAC myth busting prevention and obesity Welsh

Members 

Current OAC members are:

• Cancer Research UK
• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• Royal College of General Practitioners Cymru Wales
• Diabetes UK
• British Dietetic Association and dietitians from LHB’s
• British Medical Association Cymru Wales
• British Heart Foundation
• Royal College of Physicians
• Bowel Cancer UK
• Tenovus Cancer Care
• Welsh NHS Confederation
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Royal College of Surgeons of England
• Nesta
• Royal College of Occupational Therapists
• Royal College of Podiatry
• British Psychological Society

Obesity Alliance Cymru in the News

Obesity Alliance Cymru welcome proposals to create a healthier food environment in Wales

Contact 

Katie Till OAC Co-Chair katie.till@cancer.org.uk
Gemma Roberts OAC Co-Chair robertsge@bhf.org.uk
Clare Williams OAC Officer clare.williams@diabetes.org.uk 07824 144964 

The OAC Terms of Reference 2022