OBESITY is the greatest threat to the health of the people of Wales - and an ambitious range of measures is being proposed to help combat it, in a plan launched today.

Comments are being sought by the Welsh Government on its newly launched Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales plan, which proposes a series of actions designed, it says, to help people eat more healthily, and lead more active lives. Proposals include:

* Regulation of price promotions on foods;

* Calorie labelling on foods eaten out of the home;

* A ban on the sale of energy drinks to children;

* Limiting the use of advertising and promotion of unhealthy foods in public places, such as at bus stops, and at sporting events.

Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales sees a role for individuals, families, businesses, the NHS, councils - indeed, everyone - in tackling obesity, with people taking more responsibility for their own health and eating, supported by the aforementioned measures and more.

The plan contains four themes:

• Healthy Environments - to help everyone make healthier food choices and to create opportunities in daily life for people to be active;

• Healthy Settings - to ensure our schools, colleges, workplaces and and leisure facilities promote and provide opportunities for people to get healthy meals, snacks and drinks and to be physically active.

This includes strengthening support for early years and schools settings to enable healthy eating and daily physical activity;

• Healthy People - to provide opportunities and to inspire people and communities to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. This includes support for parents and families, focusing on the crucial first 1,000 days of life, and early years;

• Leadership and Enabling Change - to strengthen national and local leadership to deliver change through Health Boards, councils, their partners and with communities themselves.

The UK has one of the highest levels of obesity in western Europe, and in Wales, 27 per cent of four-five year olds, and 60 per cent of adults, are overweight.

Being overweight increases the risk of developing major health conditions such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

It is also a risk to people’s mental health, leading to low self-esteem, depression and anxiety.

“Too many people in Wales are overweight or obese," said health secretary Vaughan Gething.

“Our high rates of overweight four-five year olds is a matter of national concern. This government is not prepared to let a poor diet or physical inactivity be defining features in the lives of our children and young people.

“We know that many of us want to eat healthier or do more exercise. However, fitting this into our busy lives can appear to be an overwhelming challenge.

"Creating an environment where it is normal and easy for us all to eat well and be physically active can make a significant difference and nudge us to change our daily routines.

“We want to encourage people to manage their own health and wellbeing, to lose weight and to be active. The long term sustainability of the NHS is at stake.

“We want people in Wales to have long, healthy happy lives. Being a healthy weight is a central part of achieving that goal.

“Tackling the root causes of why people become overweight is complex. It will require intervention at every level. We are under no illusion - there is no quick fix or easy solution to this problem. The proposals are based on the best evidence available of what could work to turn the tide on obesity.

“This is an issue we simply cannot ignore, it is the greatest public health challenge facing our generation and I urge people to engage fully with this consultation.”

* The Health Weight: Healthy Wales consultation documents, and details on how to comment, are available at https://beta.gov.wales/healthy-weight-healthy-wales