Use of data from the Health Survey for England in obesity policy making and monitoring

Health data and statistics are the foundation of health policy. Over the last 20 years, numerous government documents have been commissioned and published to inform obesity strategies in the UK. The Health Survey for England, an annual cross‐sectional survey of a nationally representative random general population sample in England, collects information on health, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, physical measurements and biological samples. Heights and weights measured by the Health Survey for England are believed to have played a major part in promoting, shaping and evaluating obesity strategies. A formal review of how these data have been used has not been conducted previously.

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