In 2019 the Welsh Government launched their Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy to prevent and reduce obesity. This long term strategy has a core focus of leadership and enabling change through a systems based approach that will focus on local leadership, collaboration and involvement, and enabling local action.
The Whole Systems Approach (WSA) puts the Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy into action. It looks at the big picture, demonstrating how different parts of the system are connected and interconnected in a way that can make it challenging for people to stay healthy.
The Whole Systems Approach (WSA) recognises the complexity of the systems that affect our health. It works with everyone in the system to create changes that meet stakeholders' needs. WSA brings together various players—such as health organisations, local councils, businesses, and schools, to work together to change the environment around us. This collaboration embraces the complexity of these systems, creating stronger and more effective healthy solutions with a better chance of making a real difference.
Through partnerships with Directors of Public Health and funding from the Welsh Government, our Whole Systems Approach to a healthy weight aims to address the underlying causes and influences on weight within our society. Everyone has a role to play in our shared mission to make it easier to access nutritious food and be active, creating a healthier, more vibrant future.