Item 2

MINUTES of a meeting of the PUBLIC HEALTH (OBESITY) TOPIC GROUP held on

THURSDAY, 4 December 2008 AT 2.00PM in Room 246, County Hall, Hertford

ATTENDANCE
Members
A Canter, K J Coleman, M Downing (Chairman) D W Hills
Other Members Present
N Hollinghurst
Officers
County Council
Tom Hawkyard, Head of Scrutiny
Stevenage Borough Council
Stephen Weaver, Scrutiny Officer
Health
Primary Care Trusts
Robin Trevillion, Health Improvement Manager, Public Health Directorate
Apologies
Apologies were received from Councillors J Baddeley and A S M Witherick and from Mike Thomas, Scrutiny Officer, Watford Borough Council and Lynda Dent, Public Engagement Lead, Primary Care Trusts.
1.APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN
1.1The appointment of Councillor Michael Downing as Chairman, as agreed by the Health Scrutiny Committee at their meeting on 21 October 2008, was noted by the Topic Group.
1.2The Topic Group appointed Councillor K J Coleman as Vice-Chairman.
2.REMIT OF THE TOPIC GROUP
2.1The Topic Group noted their remit as set out in the scoping document.
3.BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL EXCELLENCE (NICE)
3.1The Topic Group noted the background information provided.
4.CHALLENGES FOR OBESITY
4.1The Topic Group received an oral presentation from Robin Trevillion, Health Improvement Manager, Public Health Directorate, Herts Primary Care Trusts. The presentation provided the Topic Group with an overview of the challenges facing the nation through increased obese and overweight population.
4.2The presentation provided a definition of and some statistical information on the following factors:
  • what is obesity?
  • how it is measured using a body mass index and waist circumference
  • what are the causes?
  • the health risks to the obese and overweight
  • government targets
  • national and local profiles including splits for gender, by district, age, socio cultural patterns and ethnicity
  • estimated costs to the NHS in Hertfordshire
  • childhood obesity in Hertfordshire, with profile for reception and year 6 children for 06/07 and 07/08
  • childhood obesity levels in the five districts in East and North Herts PCT and the five districts in West Herts PCT
  • levels of physical activity in Hertfordshire
  • what the Primary Care Trusts are doing to tackle obesity
4.3The Topic Groupstated that the presentation had reinforced their understanding of this Public Health challenge and helped them see the scale of the problem both nationally and at a local level. Clearly the levels of obese and overweight adults and children had increased at an alarming rate in the past decade and were set to continue unless action was taken to address this trend. The Topic Group were keen to establish what interventions were happening in Hertfordshire, what models were working and whether there were any models that could be adopted from elsewhere.
4.4The example of the successful Welwyn and Hatfield District Council event ‘strictly being healthy’ was given as a good model to raise awareness of the issues around obesity which could be used elsewhere. This event approached raising awareness of the problem of obesity by organising a fun event which didn’t lecture people, but rather showed people, in a fun way, what being obese could feel like, with people wearing ‘fat suits’. If an equivalent of the ‘five a day’ campaign, which was a simple slogan easily understood by the public about eating five fruits a day, could be identified for obesity this could used to similar effect.
5.WORK PROGRAMME FOR NEXT MEETING(S)
5.1Itwas proposed that the review should find out from each district what they are doing? This could be achieved by sending a questionnaire to each district.
5.2The Topic Group identified that they should speak to children, parents and carers – as any solutions would need to address the needs of the ‘whole family’. The Topic Group accordingly suggested that a site visit be organised to visit a JuniorSchool in Stevenage and a SeniorSchool in Watford, to meet with some students, parents, and staff to see what attitudes and behaviours are prevalent in schools towards healthy eating and exercise?
5.3The Topic Group proposed that the review also look at the take up of Safer Routes to School – Green Travel Plans, funding for cycle racks at school and the wider support for cycling in Stevenage, Watford and the County as a whole.
5.4It was recommended that the Topic Group interview Hilary Angwin, Primary Care Trusts and Childhood Obesity lead on Welwyn and Hatfield LSP, Dr Raymond Jankowski or Peter Shipster for North and East Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust and Peter Wright for West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust.
6.DATE OF NEXT MEETING(S)
6.1The Chair reminded the Topic Group that it needed to have completed its review in time to report to the Health Scrutiny Committee meeting in March 2009.
6.2The meeting were given dates that the Watford Borough Council Member can attend. The Topic Group accordingly agreed to hold the daytime site visits to the Junior and SeniorSchools on 14 and 15 January and then meet at 6pm in Stevenage and Watford to carry out interviews with a number of the interviewees already indentified in the scoping document.
6.3Further dates of 2 and 18February were agreed. These meetings would be held in the evening at 6pm to accommodate the district members. The venue for these two meetings was yet to be determined.
Stephen Weaver
Scrutiny Officer, Stevenage Borough Council
December 2008 / ACTION
Stephen Weaver/Mike Thomas
Stephen Weaver/Mike Thomas
Stephen Weaver/Mike Thomas
Stephen Weaver/Mike Thomas
All
All
Stephen Weaver/Mike Thomas
All

Q:\section\Stephen\Scrutiny\Obesity\Minutes - Public Health (Obesity) Topic Group 4 12 08.doc

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