To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (i) how many people are classed as obese; and (ii) what actions his Department is taking to address this problem.

The 2005/06 Health & Social Wellbeing Survey reported that overall 24% of adults were obese. A similar proportion of men (25%) and women (23%) were identified as having a BMI of 30 or over and therefore classified as obese.

The HSWB Survey 2005/06 also collected height and weight measurements for children aged 2-15 years. This survey indicated that using the International Approach 8% of these children were recorded as obese (8% of boys and 7% of girls).

The results from the 2010/11 Health Survey are expected to be released next month.

My Department has led the development of a Framework for Preventing and Addressing Overweight and Obesity in Northern Ireland 2011-2021: A Fitter Future for All.

This Framework will incorporate and oversee the existing Fit Futures Implementation Plan which had a focus on children and young people and widen the scope to contain outcomes regarding food and nutrition, and physical activity throughout the life course of the population. It is anticipated that this Framework will be issued for final Ministerial and Executive approval in the autumn of 2011.

The successful implementation of the Framework will rely on close collaboration with DE, DCAL and other Departments. SportNI, through its Sports Matter Strategy, will also be a key delivery partner for many of the outcomes relating to increasing participation in physical activity.

The Public Health Agency currently undertakes a range of programmes and initiatives to address overweight and obesity across Northern Ireland, working in collaboration with other Departments and their agencies. Work in this area includes the following:

Working to ensure that healthy weight and reducing obesity forms part of local action plans.

Working with DE to support the development and implementation of the Food in School Policy; and

Support enhanced opportunities for all age groups and abilities to be physically active, including collaborative work to build/enhance the infrastructure that supports activity in various settings.