UK government’s obesity plan ‘doomed to fail’, MPs warn

Cross-party committee says ‘moonshot’ vow to end obesity epidemic in a decade will fail without personal leadership from PM

The UK government’s promise to reverse rising obesity rates in the next decade is “doomed to fail” without a major rethink and a new plan led directly by the prime minister, a cross-party committee of MPs has concluded.

The health and social care select committee said in a report that there are no signs the so-called “moonshot ambition on obesity”, set out in the 10-year health plan for England, will achieve anything significant.

More than a year after the promise to “end the obesity epidemic” within a decade was made, even the most basic questions – such as how progress will be measured and how a cross-departmental plan would work…