Working to Reduce Obesity in Children

21/02/2008

Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT) is working with others to help reduce the number of children in Gloucestershire who are overweight or obese.

The PCT is working with schools, the county and district councils, parents and others to help promote regular physical activity and health eating from an early age and encourage children to live an active life which will benefit them in both the short and long term.

Dr Shona Arora, Director of Public Health says: “There is no quick fix for obesity. By working together we can help reduce the number of overweight and obese children in the county, and ensure that the lifestyle lessons children learn carry them through to a healthy and active old age.”

Quoted in the Annual Report of the Director of Public Health 2007-2008, Dr Graham Wilson, a Cheltenham-based GP, says: “The benefits of living an active life and eating well extend beyond preventing obesity. It reduces the risk of developing cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes as well as asthma in children. It also protects against osteoporosis and improves mental health and well-being.”

The countywide obesity strategy was agreed in 2007. The planned actions to help tackle obesity in children include:

• ensuring family eating and physical activity is included in all antenatal and postnatal education
• developing consistent food policies within school and childcare settings
• improving food skills, including the growing, shopping for and cooking of fruit and vegetables through schools and other projects
• all GP surgeries to have a weight management practitioner.

The Active Start programme run by Active Gloucestershire in Children’s Centres is one way of encouraging young children to get into the habit of active play. It also helps to build self-esteem – crucial in addressing the complex issue of body image. Children in Whaddon have been enjoying jumping and bending to encourage them to keep active.

Schools in the county have exceeded the national target of reaching National Healthy school standards with over 100 schools taking part. This was a major strength reported in the recent Joint Agency Review of children’s services published by Ofsted.

Dr Arora says: “We can all help ourselves. Making small adjustments one at a time can make it easier to deal with the overall problem.

“For example: don’t just see taking part in a charity walk or run, such as the Sport Relief Mile or the Race for Life, as a way of helping charity, see it as the start of an active lifestyle for you and your family. Take children on training walks and runs and make this part of your lifestyle beyond that one charity walk or run.

“If we all work together in Gloucestershire we can reduce the obesity figures and become healthier people.”