Child obesity ‘levelling off’

New data shows progress on obesity as Healthy Towns help communities Change4Life

Data published today suggests the rapid rise in child obesity may be levelling off.

The figures, produced by a team of independent experts led by Professor Klim McPherson of Oxford University, looked at children's overweight and obesity levels that have been forecast to 2020.

Analysis using data from the past few years indicate a 17 per cent drop in the forecasted number of overweight 2 – 11 year old girls and a 4 per cent drop in the anticipated numbers of obese girls of the same age. In boys of the same age, the figures indicate a 5 per cent drop in the forecast number of overweight and a 7 per cent drop in the anticipated numbers of obese boys.

Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron, will welcome the new data from Portsmouth, one of the country’s 9 Change4Life Healthy Towns, where she will visit successful projects in the town as part of National Obesity Week and to celebrate one year of the Change4Life Healthy Towns programme.

Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron said:

“Obesity is one of the biggest health challenges we face, there are currently 1.5 million children and 25 million adults that are overweight or obese, leaving them at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart and liver disease.

“The encouraging news that child obesity may be levelling off is thanks to the hard work of families, schools and the NHS across England, supported by Government initiatives such as 5 A Day and Healthy Schools which have overseen improvements to school food and school sport.

“But obesity levels are still too high and we need to keep the momentum going – that’s why I’m delighted to see our campaigns such as the Change4Life Healthy Towns being so successful.

“We’ll only turn the tide on obesity for good if everyone – government, families and industry – play their part.”

The Change4Life Healthy Towns, launched a year ago this month, are Dudley, Halifax, Sheffield, Tower Hamlets, Thetford, Middlesbrough, Manchester, Tewkesbury and Portsmouth.

The towns, which went through a rigorous selection process and each received a share of a £30 million Government investment, have spent the last year creating opportunities for their local communities to get active and eat healthily.

Over the year, initiatives in Change4Life Healthy Towns have included:

• a healthy meal event in Middlesbrough with over 10,000 diners tucking in;

• free fruit and veg for the 5,629 Year Seven pupils in Sheffield;

• healthy weight projects in workplaces across Halifax

• Change4Life corner shops stocking fresh fruit and veg in Tower Hamlets;

• a mass bike ride in Portsmouth with over 250 cyclists;

• a ‘green gym’ to get people active in the outdoors in Thetford;

• cooking clubs for mums, dads and kids in Tewkesbury;

• better walking and cycling facilities in Dudley.

During her visit to Portsmouth, Minister Gillian Merron will meet local people involved in Change4Life Healthy Town initiatives such as ‘Kick-start Health,’ getting kids eating well and moving more; the Pompey Health bus, which takes healthy living ideas out to residents and a community growing project, to help people from the town plant vegetables.

Change4Life Healthy Towns will continue to lead the way in helping residents live healthier lives, collaborating with other towns to share the lessons of their successes.

Many of the Change4Life Healthy Towns are using this first year anniversary as an opportunity to announce plans for the year ahead, including:

• the launch of the Points4Life scheme in Manchester which will reward local people with free activities and healthy food;

• work with GPs in Halifax to open nine healthy weight clinics across the town;

• Tower Hamlets’ ambition to get 700 people from the Ocean Estate ditching their cars to take up walking or cycling;

• the extension of the Tewkesbury cycle network;

• four more bike recycling and maintenance centres in Portsmouth

Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, Portsmouth's Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, said:

"We're really looking forward to showing the Minister some of the excellent partnership working going on in Portsmouth on a range of initiatives including healthy living, healthy eating, healthy lifestyles and healthy weight.

"The partners on our Local Strategic Partnership, which include the Primary Care Trust and Portsmouth City Council, have pulled together to make obesity one of our four top priority areas, with special emphasis on trying to tackle obesity in children. There are so many initiatives going on but they include work by the council's Health Improvement Service, children's centres, Sure Start, breakfast clubs and school education - and all this work is starting to to have a positive impact on trends. The Minister will see some of this work in action."

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