Chewing the fat: what can councils do about the obesity epidemic?

What can councils do to get men and women lively and reduced ranges of obesity? Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

You can’t argue with the facts. Virtually two thirds of grownups are now obese or obese and we know that lack of exercising can contribute to early death – the statistics bear that out.

From a purely political stage a see, a healthful and actively engaged population concerned in council projects and programmes sounds like a type of utopia, the rewards of which councillors would reap in abundance.

Councils had been told just final week that if they tackled a United kingdom-broad “inactivity pandemic” they could support conserve the economic system a staggering £1.2bn. Attaining this, in accordance to a latest research, would require cutting inactivity ranges by just one% a 12 months for five years.

But how hard is this to attain? Most councils presently run referral physical exercise schemes free of charge of charge, but these depend on the NHS to determine participants and targets support on the most obese or vulnerable. They are centered on people, not total populations.

Number crunching demonstrates that some cities and regions face a greater challenge: in Copeland, Cumbria, 3 quarters of individuals are obese. In Doncaster, the 2nd biggest town, 74% of folks are an unhealthy size. These figures are troubling, not least since the enterprise of public wellness has been out of council hands for 4 decades now they have the difficult process of choosing up the pieces. Little schemes for hand-picked men and women at particular chance are not going to remedy the dilemma rapidly adequate.

In the US, the mayor of Oklahoma virtually showed the way. Overweight himself, he committed to shedding the extra flab and asked his fellow citizens to come on that journey with him. By opening himself up, generating himself vulnerable, he aided the folks of Oklahoma to connect with him. They shared his ambitions for themselves, and for the wellness of their city. And it worked: collectively they misplaced a million lbs.

Uk initiatives have been relatively significantly less ambitious so far. Stoke-on-Trent is preparing to devote £10,000 sending a series of text messages to 500 folks who indicator up to a digital bodyweight-reduction programme which will final ten weeks. The missives will remind subscribers to consume a lot more fruit and greens and send them motivational mantras to preserve their willpower up. But the council has presently faced criticism for the expense, which does seem substantial given that digital engagement is developed to save authorities sparse money.

Exactly where attempts have been much more regarded as, the benefits are surprising. Wigan is really one particular of the better performing council places when it comes to the fat index 65% of adults are obese, but 5 many years ago the borough was considered 1 of the fattest areas in the country. It truly is “lose fat come to feel wonderful” programme brought with each other a amount of services in 1 place, tailored its help to various groups of men and women dependent on their circumstances, and delivered it all in local local community halls and at lower or no value. It even made a support referred to as “trim down, shape up” especially for guys reluctant to identify themselves with some thing a lot more akin to a Fat Watchers session.

As the two the Oklahoma and Wigan examples have shown, albeit in diverse approaches, if you request local individuals to adjust their behaviour you have to adjust your very own behaviour. Developing overall health and wellbeing services that are isolated from the rest of the council’s work – which authorities have always naturally carried out – won’t make a variation. If absolutely everyone within the town hall plays their function in turning out to be one% a lot more lively, you can greater anticipate citizens to stage up and play their very own component.

Local government occasionally requires a shove to get it moving in the correct course. Public wellness budgets have been roughly allotted final yr primarily based on require (and disputes understandably followed). Let’s see potential allocations based, at least in portion, on achievement: not on achievement – cultural elements indicate London will often measure up slimmer than other cities – but on real change, to waistlines, to routines and to lifestyles. If fat fighting policies function, large sums of money will be saved elsewhere from the public purse. What greater incentive for councils to see it diverted back to them?

• Want your say? E mail sarah.marsh@theguardian.com to propose contributions to the network.

Not previously a member? Join us now for much more comment, examination and the latest work opportunities in regional government.

Chewing the fat: what can councils do about the obesity epidemic?