Manchester's obesity crisis: 4 in 10 primary school leavers overweight or obese

Health bosses in Manchester are launching a huge campaign to tackle obesity - as we reveal 63% of adults in the city are classed as overweight or obese.

It comes after yesterday's announcement that a sugar and salt tax should be brought in to help transform the nation's diet.

Obesity is a major health crisis countrywide and in Manchester 63% of adults and 41% of children at Year 6 (age 10-11) were overweight or obese, before Covid -19 higher than the national average. It is estimated that the costs of disease related to being overweight and obesity during 2015 in Manchester cost £185.1million.

Manchester City Council is now setting out a five year plan to offer support to those looking for a healthier lifestyle.

David Regan, Director of Public Health said: "The obesity health crisis is not one that can be tackled in isolation, it is a complex area with many strands and is not just about focusing on unhealthy food choice and low levels of activity. Our new whole system approach looks at everything from parks and leisure facilities, licensing, and food outlets to transport and the built environment as well as looking at whether there is the right support to help people change their behaviour and encourage them to make the right choices in the future.

"We know that it isn't easy but even making small changes in eating and increasing activity levels can lead to improvements in health and wellbeing and often these gains are the impetus for people to go further and make even greater improvements. Our plan is to ensure that our work across every sector will give people the opportunity, knowledge and tools to make changes for the better."

The strategy looks at what can be done throughout a person's life from pregnancy through to old age targeting interventions at each stage of life to encourage people to become more active, adopt a healthier diet and lifestyle, and to make improved choices to help reduce the risk of obesity. It has drawn best practice from cities in the UK and Europe where obesity rates have reversed and declined.

Some of the measures range from reducing food poverty and high fat and sugar foods, upskilling individuals to produce healthy food and to change consumer culture and behaviour and promoting active travel and opportunities for people to get involved in physical activity, particularly now that lockdown has eased and residents can take advantage again of health and fitness opportunities at local leisure centres. Consistent messaging, early interventions, school education programmes on healthy eating and lifestyles, access to food clubs which offer subsidised food are just some of the ways in which the partnership will be working to progress the strategy.

Councillor Joanna Midgley, executive member, Health and Care said: "The pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for all of us to look after our health and fitness levels and we know that obesity has been a factor which led to increased risk of Covid-19. Our plan is ambitious but by creating the right environment and education to help people make better choices about eating healthy food and getting fit will be critical in tackling this obesity crisis. It is important that we take this action to improve the health and wellbeing of all our residents now and in the future."

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, executive member for Neighbourhoods said: "Now that lockdown has eased and our leisure facilities are reopening, it is a great time to explore the help and support available to get more active. We all feel better when we're physically active and now we have the opportunity to take advantage of all that is on offer once again as restrictions on our lifestyles are being lifted,"

Funding of £500,000 from government will be used to deliver a programme of weight loss activities in the city.