Agenda item

(To receive a report by Derek Ward, Director of Public Health and Andy Fox, Consultant in Public Health, which informs the Committee of the issues and challenges faced in Lincolnshire arising from growing overweight and obesity rates)

Consideration was given to a report by Derek Ward, Director of Public Health and Andy Fox, Consultant in Public Health, on the challenges faced in Lincolnshire arising from growing overweight and obesity rates. The following matters were highlighted:

• Causes of obesity were multifactored. As such, the main challenge to treating obesity was identifying the most effective and efficient methods of helping people lose weight.
• Obesity was a primary cause of poor health.
• Lincolnshire reflected the national picture regarding levels of obesity.
• Levels of obesity had increased over the past 30 years, as did associated health care and labour costs. As such, increasing levels of obesity also had an economic and environmental impact.
• Pandemic public health measures had been linked to a sharp increase in inactivity among children; however, the impacts were less significant in Lincolnshire compared to the national picture.
• More privileged sections of the population had become healthier in recent years, and obesity rates had fallen. As such, health inequalities had widened.
• Lincolnshire public health commissioned the integrated lifestyle service model – One You Lincolnshire. This was an innovative support model based on behaviour change for physical inactivity, smoking and risky alcohol use, all of which contributed to Lincolnshire’s obesity burden. Research by the University of Lincoln had demonstrated that this care model outperformed non-integrated models on every measured metric. This service was set to be recommissioned in 2024.
• Lincolnshire did not deliver the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) in 2020/21, due to the pandemic. A new Child and Family Weight Management Service (CFWM) was to be piloted in September 2022.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) was a useful measure of societal obesity but was not an accurate measurement for individuals. As such, BMI thresholds for accessing services were not to be used to preclude people from support.
• No Tier 3 or Tier 4 services were currently provided in Lincolnshire.

Consideration was given to the report and during the discussion the following points were noted:

• Work was underway to locally map levels of physical activity and find ways to maximise benefits and opportunities for exercise.
• Deprivation was found to be a primary cause of lower levels of physical activity among children and families.
• Public health authorities were working with the food industry to find a way forward regarding advertisement of unhealth food.
• An integrated model for solving low levels of physical activity was being pursued, which targeted societal factors rather than individual lifestyles.
• Increased communication and publicity were needed to encourage more people to pursue healthier lifestyles.
• The promotion of healthy lifestyles would see both immediate and long-term benefits in terms of people’s health and savings in health care costs.
• Additional pressure needed to be put on developers and businesses in terms of licensing and planning, to encourage more active travel and healthier hospitality.

Members felt that it was a good idea to show their commitment to encouraging healthy lifestyles by engaging with weight loss and physical activity programmes themselves. Members were also interested to understand the differences between rural and urban communities.

RESOLVED:

1. That the report and comments be noted.
2. That a joint working group be set up, including Members from this Committee, the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee and the Health and Wellbeing Board, to further investigate issues and challenges faced in Lincolnshire arising from growing overweight and obesity rates.