National Obesity Awareness Week – Overview

CTM UHB is marking National Obesity Awareness Week 2025 (10th – 16th January).
A recent report released by CTM revealed that CTM UHB has some of Wales’s highest levels of obesity in adults and children.
Around two in three adults in CTM are overweight or obese, and around one in three are living with obesity.
In many of our communities it is hard to access good quality food or opportunities for physical activity, making it hard to stay a healthy weight.
More than 31,000 people in Wales are living with diabetes. Approximately half of these could have been prevented with the right support to achieve a healthy weight, a better diet and increased physical activity.
Karen Reid, Highly Specialist Public Health Dietitian at CTM said: “While we need to work to improve our environment to make it easier for people to be a healthy weight, there are many different tools and resources available to support anyone ready to take their own steps towards a healthy weight.”
Being active and spending time outdoors is proven to improve mood and sleep, while also reducing stress, anxiety and depression. To help boost the motivation that’s sometimes needed to get going, we are launching a CTM quest to get our CTM population moving the equivalent of Merthyr to Bridgend (75,000 steps/movements) over a three-week period (10th – 31st January).

CTM’s Public Health Dietitians
CTM’s Public Health Dietitians team deliver a range of interactive nutrition training programmes for staff and community workers, accredited by Agored Cymru.
The team provides on-going support for the development and delivery of community-based initiatives post training, to support population health and wellbeing; specifically targeting the most vulnerable and deprived within our communities.
NUTRITION SKILLS FOR LIFE™ programmes are available to a wide range of community workers including health, social care and third sector staff, volunteers and peer educators; enabling them to support healthy eating and prevent malnutrition at a community level.
The team also offer a range of community services, including:
Community Food and Nutrition Skills
Community Food and Nutrition Skills programmes will help you to develop your knowledge and skills of food by learning more about eating well, the benefits of good nutrition to health, creating balanced meals and planning healthy menus.
Nutrition Skills for Life Recipe Book
https://ctmuhb.nhs.wales/services/public-health-dietitians/recipes/recipe-book-a5-english-july-2022
Created by dieticians and support workers delivering Nutrition Skills for Life courses across Wales.
Foodwise for Life App
This free app, developed by NHS Wales professionals is designed to provide all this, and more. It brings together trusted nutrition and healthy weight advice to support you through your weight loss journey
You can download the Foodwise for Life App from Apple Store and Google Play.

A fully-funded Welsh Government programme, based in schools for 12 days over the summer holidays and quality assured by Public Health Dietitians. It is available to schools with over 16% Free School Meal provision and supported by a range of local and national partners.
A twelve-week community-based programme aimed at people who are living with overweight or obesity. The programme supports people to lose weight, through increasing activity levels, practical cookery demonstration and dietary advice. People who attend have improved chronic hip and knee pain, reduced their risk of joint pain and improve their overall health and wellbeing.
CTM’s PIPYN Project
Launched in April 2023, the PIPYN programme began life as a Merthyr based pilot programme that was launched to promote healthy lifestyles and to support children and families to live healthier and more active lives.
Now running in Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda and Taff Ely, the PIPYN team work with children aged between 3-7 years old, helping their families to access free support. You can find out more here.

Nutrition Skills for Life Recipe Book
A recipe book created by dieticians and support workers delivering Nutrition Skills for Life courses across Wales.
Healthy Weight Healthy You – Wales
This website offers free access to information, support and resources on:
- Understanding weight and your weight management journey
- Food and Drink
- Physical Activity
- Emotional Health and Wellbeing
- Making long-term behaviour change
NHS Fitness Studio Exercise videos
A range of instructor-led exercise videos, including aerobic exercises, strength and resistance training, pilates and yoga.
NHS advice about healthy living, including eating a balanced diet, healthy weight, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol.
NHS Information and guidance about eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Food Pantries, Food Banks and Help with Cost of Living
With the cost of living on the rise and outgoings seeming more difficult, you can find information and link in with your local foodbank, pantry or wellbeing coordinator by clicking here
There are also a number of apps available from your app store which could support you with your fitness journey:
Foodwise for Life
NHS Weight Loss Plan
NHS Couch to 5K
NHS Active 10 Walking Tracker
NHS Food Scanner
NHS Drink Free Days
NHS Quit Smoking