According to recent figures around one in four adults and one in six children in the East Midlands are obese, a figure set to grow to one in two adults and one in four children nationally by 2050 unless we act now.
Help is coming to the region in the form of ‘Change4Life’, a national lifestyle revolution that involves thousands of local organisations and charities to help mums, dads and families eat well, move more and live longer.
On the 3 April, NHS East Midlands will host the regional launch of Change4Life bringing together stakeholders from local community groups and volunteers, nutrition and physical activity professionals to discuss how the region will combat the rising tide of obesity. The summit will be held at the Mansfield Civic Centre, Nottinghamshire led by Dr David Walker, Regional Director of Public Health. The energising programme will test the audience via an interactive quiz; involve cookery demonstrations, dance performances and share active projects from across the East Midlands supported by evidence from a number of expert speakers.
Dr David Walker, Regional Director of Public Health said: “Our increasingly busy lifestyles make maintaining a healthy weight and finding time to get active difficult. It is a challenge to us all, but we can’t afford not to make immediate changes. The East Midlands has a higher than national rate of adult obesity and this is also becoming a more serious issue for younger people. The bright and colourful Change4Life campaign offers simple and effective advice for all the family and I actively encourage you to get behind this to make dramatic changes to your health and wellbeing.”
Change4Life is about making sustainable lifestyle changes on the ground, in people’s homes, in schools and in the workplace. Simple changes can make a big difference and Change4Life is supporting local communities to make more positive lifestyle choices.
Obesity levels have risen sharply in recent years and rates in the East Midlands are currently higher than the national average. Regionally the estimated cost to the NHS of diseases related to obesity in the East Midlands in 2007 was £586 million. On a national scale, this currently stands at £4.2 billion a year, set to double by 2050 if left unchecked. This could mean that in just over forty years time 60% of men, 50% of women could be clinically obese and 90% of children overweight and obese.
This poses significant health risks. In England, life expectancy is reduced due to obesity by approximately 10 years and there is an increased risk of developing life threatening diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
Secretary of State for Health Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP comments: “Tackling obesity is the most significant public health challenge we face today. This problem must be recognised, owned and addressed in every part of society if we are to reverse current trends in obesity.”
Change4Life aims to provide clear advice and support through community resources, guidance from local health professionals, web tools, television programming, food and recipe suggestions from local supermarkets and suggestions on creative ways to travel to and from work or school. These could include school walking buses, cooking clubs, swimming clubs and safe play areas.
Change4Life is a campaign activated at grassroots level. To date, 12,400 organisations, charities, supermarkets and commercial organisations have signed up to the campaign and it is hope more will follow suit.
For further information contact NHS East Midlands Communications Team on 0115 9684468.
