Public economics

Internal medicine

Sociology

Qualitative research

Government (linguistics)

Population

Social science

Obesity

Policy analysis

Agency (philosophy)

Philosophy

Political science

Economics

Linguistics

Thematic analysis

Public administration

Medicine

Environmental health

Milbank Quarterly

Policy Points This analysis finds that government obesity policies in England have largely been proposed in a way that does not readily lead to implementation; that governments rarely commission evaluations of previous government strategies or learn from policy failures; that governments have tended to adopt less interventionist policy approaches; and that policies largely make high demands on individual agency, meaning they rely on individuals to make behavior changes rather than shaping external influences and are thus less likely to be effective or equitable. These findings may help explain why after 30 years of proposed government obesity policies, obesity prevalence and health inequities still have not been successfully reduced. If policymakers address the issues identified in this analysis, population obesity could be tackled more successfully, which has added urgency given the COVID-19 pandemic.

Is Obesity Policy in England Fit for Purpose? Analysis of Government Strategies and Policies, 1992–2020