Obesity event:- A fitter, slimmer and healthier Aberdeenshire population: dream or reality?
Brief
Scotland faces a significant challenge from rising levels of obesity. Obesity is a major cause of disease and death in the population. Scotland has one of the highest levels of obesity in OECD countries. The Scottish Health Survey for 2009/10 showed that nearly three quarters (67%) of the adult population in Aberdeenshire is overweight and over a quarter (26.4%) is clinically obese1.
The 2011 Scottish Health Survey showed the proportion of children above a healthy weight increased with age, from 28.5% of children aged 2-5 to 32.9% of those aged 8-11, and 33.7% of those aged 12-15. These differences are largely accounted for by the proportion of children classified as obese or morbidly obese.2
A multi-agency workshop for partners on obesity was hosted to: raise awareness of the extent and impact of obesity; raise awareness of current work being progressed by partners to tackle obesity and propose that a joint outcome-focussed approach is progressed to ensure the Community Planning Partnership adopts a strategic approach to obesity.
The workshop ‘A fitter, slimmer and healthier Aberdeenshire population: dream or reality?’was hosted on 6th September 2012. Overall the workshop was well received by the 40+ participants who attended from a range of servicesincluding Aberdeenshire Council, NHS and Third Sector. Through group discussions, a range ofaction areas were considered and in broad terms it was agreed that the Community Planning Partners should focus on:
- Increasing awareness and buy in to the obesity agendaby local leaders and decision makers across the Partnership
- Increasingfront line staff awareness, knowledge and skills -so that consistent messages around food and physical activity are passed on to service / facility users
- Improving workforce healthy weight through provision of healthy eating active living advice, support and opportunities to the workforces of CPP partnerorganisations
- Improving the food environment within partner organisations - reviewing current accessibility and availability of energy dense foods.
A range of more specific actions were identified by the workshop participants and key ones are summarised in the appendix.
Whilst the event was over subscribed, it was disappointing that no Elected Members, other than the Provost, were able to attend the workshop. As one of the four key action areas identified was to Increase awareness and buy in to the obesity agendaby local leaders and decision makers across the Partnership, this is something that requires further consideration. The Provost, however,is very supportive of this agenda and has offered to look at ways of engaging Elected Members and senior council officers in future discussions on obesity.
12010 Scottish Health Survey
2The Scottish Health Survey 2011, Volume 2: Children (6 year average figure 1998-2011)
APPENDIX
Key specific areas identified by workshop participants
The following were key areas that the working groups felt that merit further consideration as they are likely to reach a wide audience, are doable and are likely to have a certain degree of acceptability by the public and partners.
Promoting a healthy physical activity environment
- Promote open spaces for physical activity and maximise the use of existing facilities
- Improve signposting to the various activities and programmes
- Encourage workplace physical activity (allow time for people to do physical activity)
- Prescribe physical activity (primary care)
- Skill front line staff to be aware of what is available locally so they can signpost better
Promoting a healthy food environment
- Stop supersizing snacks, meals and drinks
- Ban buy one and get one free of foods high in fat, sugar and salt
- Make water more available at various locations
- Tighten up rules around licensing of burger vans near schools
- Stop sweets at check outs
- Set example in public sector
Increased awareness/knowledge/skills and empowerment
- CPP to buy into agenda and raise awareness and support
- Staff health – build on Olympics feel good factor in promoting workplace activities and use incentives and novel ways of engaging staff
- Staff training – especially those on front line delivery so as the right messages around food and physical activity are passed on to service / facilities users
- Early years interventions (considered easy but may not have worked well so far)
- Use schools in summer for cooking skills work
- Make calorie labelling clearer
Supportive media environment and changed social norms
- Public sector should provide leadership and lead by example with regards to food available on own premises and the health of their staff.
- Simple and consistent messages should be provided around food and health to be used by various media outlets in public places.
- Target and work closely with communities using social marketing methods
- Use simple messages such as “what do 100 calories look like across various foods and drinks”