Public Health Wales welcomes £8m grant to transform weight management services in Wales
Published on: 27 Jun 2026
Public Health Wales, with support from Life Sciences Hub, has been awarded £8m of grant funding from Innovate UK to develop innovative weight management services in Wales.
The award of this funding will enable Public Health Wales and Health Boards to develop and pilot new ways of supporting people who are living with overweight and obesity and those currently on a weight management waiting list, through a new hybrid approach that combines community‑based support with digital innovation, working with local organisations, dietetic and other health professionals, for more personalised care closer to home.
The funding will enable a digital pathway to be developed which will provide wrap-around care for patients and will support them at all stages of their journey. This new pathway will be designed to make it easier for people to refer themselves and get support earlier, helping to prevent obesity becoming more severe, when it is harder to reverse. Independent grant funding has been provided by Eli Lilly and Company Limited in addition to the funding contributed by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology. The programme is being delivered through Innovate UK.
Overweight and obesity remains one of the most pressing public health challenges facing Wales today with more than six in ten adults (over 60%) now living with overweight or obesity. Around one in four adults in Wales is classified as obese, a rate among the highest of the UK nations. Excess weight is associated with serious long-term health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers, placing increasing pressure on NHS services and highlighting the importance of early support.
One in eight hospital admissions is related to obesity and the direct costs of obesity and overweight is more than £500 million every year.
Obesity does not affect everyone equally. Rates are around 10–15% higher in the least affluent communities than in the most affluent, and it more commonly affects women, people with learning disabilities, and people from some ethnic minority backgrounds. Rising levels of overweight and obesity among children present a further concern given the long-term consequences for physical and mental health. Addressing obesity requires coordinated effort across government, communities, and individuals to tackle its complex, interconnected causes.
Dr Ilona Johnson, Consultant in Public Health, said: “We know that managing weight can be extremely difficult, and living with obesity can have a significant impact on both physical health and mental wellbeing, as well as increasing the risk of serious long-term conditions”
“We are also seeing people gaining weight at an earlier age and continuing to do so over time. This increases the risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, and can affect everyday life, making it harder to stay active, work and feel well.”
“We are therefore delighted to have secured this funding. It will enable us to pilot and scale innovative, holistic, community focused approaches to weight management. We know that doing more of the same will not be enough to meet the scale of this challenge, this is about developing new ways to support people, making it easier to access help earlier, closer to home, and in ways that fit with their everyday lives.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Keith Reid, said: “Obesity is a complex condition with serious consequences for long-term health, and we know that early intervention gives people the best chance of living a healthier life. By supporting people at an earlier stage, before weight becomes harder to manage, we can reduce the risk of conditions that affect quality of life and place significant pressure on clinical services. This funding will help us reach people sooner, with support close to home, to make a lasting difference to people’s health.”