Groundbreaking work in Brighton and Hove is helping children to stay within recommended weight levels.
Practical initiatives commissioned by Brighton and Hove City Council are raising awareness of free services and helping to reduce childhood obesity in the city. Meanwhile, work by the city’s nurses and schools have helped more families to ensure that their children remain a healthy weight.
According to new statistics by the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), more of the city’s children are recorded as being a healthy weight than in previous years.
Over 2012/13, only 13.5% of 10-11 year olds in the city were obese compared with 18.9% across the country and 16% in the South East. This is a significant improvement since 2005/06 when Brighton and Hove’s statistic was 17.7%.
For 4 and 5 year olds, 7.4% were obese in 2012/13, which is considerably better than the England statistic of 9.3% and lower than the South East’s figure of 7.9%.
Dr Tom Scanlon, Brighton & Hove City Council’s Director of Public health, said: “Children’s formative years are vital for establishing healthy lifestyle patterns. It’s great to see that families are increasingly appreciating the need for balanced diet and regular exercise in helping children grow into healthy young people.”
He added: “There are still areas for concern across this city and a significant proportion of children are sadly overweight and obese, and in these difficult economic times, buying fresh fruit and vegetables is more difficult for many people. Parents need to know they are not alone in tackling this issue and that a range of practical support is available from Brighton & Hove City Council to help raise healthy children.”
The NCMP was introduced across England in 2006 to assess children’s weight levels in primary school. The data they collect is used to provide advice to families in need of support and is also part of local planning for delivery of services to children.
In Brighton and Hove, participation with the NCMP is high. An impressive 98.6 per cent of reception children and 93.2 per cent of final year primary school pupils took part this year. This provides insight into how the city’s obesity rates are better than the national picture.
Although the city comes out well in comparison to the national average, England continues to have one of the highest levels of obesity in Europe and so needs urgent action.
In Brighton & Hove a range of healthy lifestyle programmes are commissioned and run for free by the City Council’s public health team for children and families. These programmes include Family Shape Up which provides a combination of healthy eating advice and exercise, catering for all ages and abilities.
Lucy, who joined Family Shape Up with her daughter, said: “We are now more active as a family and try to exercise much more often. Also, I try to cook more foods from scratch so I know what is being added. Both Millie and I have more energy since starting Family Shape Up and actually enjoy exercising. Family Shape Up has helped us to change our lifestyle for the better.”
Dr Tom Scanlon added: “A partnership approach works well in encouraging healthy lifestyle choices. The changes people choose to make have to be practical and become part of family life. We know even small changes can have a big impact over time and can lead to a significantly healthier population. This is very much about encouraging ways to eat well and live well so that all children can enjoy healthy lives.”
Families seeking more information or advice can contact the local Healthy Weight Team to find out what initiatives may suit their needs best.
The Healthy Weight Team are available on 01273 431703.
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