Three in five adults in Herts are overweight, cllrs told
Policies to help combat obesity have been discussed
ALMOST one in three children in Hertfordshire (31.5 per cent) are overweight or obese by the time they are 11 years old, councillors have been told.
And in the county’s wider adult population, three in five adults (60.8 per cent) are either overweight or living with obesity.
The data was reported to a panel of county councillors on Tuesday (27 February), during a full-day scrutiny focussed on obesity.
Obesity, it was reported, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, cancer and osteoarthritis,
And – as well as reducing the number of years of good health – severe obesity can reduce life expectancy by 10 years.
However at the meeting councillors heard that obesity was “not simply a result of energy intake exceeding energy expenditure”.
And, as part of the scrutiny, they were asked to consider “drivers” of weight gain that included genetics, biology, behaviour and the environment, as well as economic and commercial factors.
They also heard that no single intervention could “solve” the problem and heard about the merits of a “whole system approach”.
Pointing to the “complexity” in the causes of obesity, director of public health Sarah Perman stressed that it wasn’t “just a personal issue”.
She highlighted the role of genetic, psychological, environmental, commercial and societal factors – stressing that it could not be seen as a failure of healthy lifestyles.
And she told councillors: “There is no single solution which we can apply here.
“And that is why we talk about a whole systems approach to obesity – which needs to involve a wide range of stakeholders and organisations, playing their part to bring about long-term change.”
Among the range of measures highlighted to councillors, was the work of the adult weight management service, Beezee Bodies and the Herts Sports Partnership.
But they also heard about the role of planning policy in designing “healthy places” – and the way policies could be used to limit the number of fast food outlets in particular areas.
Ultimately the panel came up with four “emerging” recommendations, based on the evidence, that will be finalised following the meeting.
Among those recommendations was the need to engage communities in the production of programmes and communications in order to deliver effective programmes that reflect the diverse nature of Hertfordshire communities.
They also pointed to the need to work with local health care systems to understand the needs of the community to then tailor responses to weight management and healthy lifestyle for that area.
In addition they said there needs to be an awareness of what is happening system-wide – to understand what services are available and to ensure health care practitioners and others are linking to services.
And the final emerging recommendation focussed on the role of prevention – in embedding better behaviours for healthy living amongst our residents.
Commenting on the scrutiny, Conservative Cllr Richard Thake – who chaired the panel – said that the implications of obesity on peoples health were vast.
He acknowledged the huge burden on the NHS as a result. And he said it was vital to put effective prevention measures in place.
“Public health sits within the county council and clearly we have got to take a leading role in terms of asking partners to deliver effective measures to stem this rising tide of obesity,” he said.