Agenda item

(To receive a report from Andy Fox, Consultant Public Health, which provides the Board with an update on the Healthy Weight priority)

Consideration was given to a report from the Director of Public Health, which provided the Board with an annual update on the Healthy Weight Priority.

The Chairman invited Andy Fox, Consultant in Public Health to present the item to the Board.

The Board was updated on how Lincolnshire was addressing the challenge of high overweight and obesity in the county; the successes within the county of the following services: the Healthy Weight Networks, the Integrated Lifestyle Service, the Child and Family Weight Maintenance Service, and the Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

The Board noted the challenges of reaching deprived communities; exit strategies and signposting; and the opportunities for expanding the service provision.

In conclusion, the Board was advised that healthy weight at all ages was vital to a happy, thriving population, economy, and sustainable NHS.  It was recognised that the county faced some challenge in terms of helping its population of all ages achieve and enjoy and sustain a healthy weight were significant.  It was however noted that the Healthy Weight Partnership was leading in making the whole-system, multi-agency approach effective.

(Councillor C E H Marfleet joined the meeting at 14:41pm)

During consideration of this item, the following comments were noted:

·       The importance of getting families back into cooking healthy and preparing food;

·       Making use of what was available to individuals in their own communities across the county to be able to get some exercise, for example walking; playing football in the local park, as quite a lot of individuals would be intimidated about joining a gym;

·       The importance of children and young people having a good diet from an early age.  The Board noted that input was received from the Children’s Health Service in relation to breast feeding and also the Children Centres and Family Hubs;

·       Reassurance was provided that all the people from all the organisations taking the healthy weight priority forward were the right ones for Lincolnshire.  There was recognition that there was always more that could be done;

·       It was highlighted that some of the work done historically and currently might unintentionally increase some of the inequalities seen across the county. The Board noted that to help prevent barriers to services, they needed to be designed to understand the kind of challenges people faced in taking them up.  It was highlighted that health inequalities was a key requirement for the system;

·       The importance of family hubs, children’s centres and day care centres;

·       The need to ensure that flexibility remained at the heart of what was to be achieved;

·       That some consideration needed to be taken to the fact that some people were unable to exercise as a result of having to wait for an operation or other health conditions; and

·       That further consideration needed to be made to environmental factors.

The Chairman on behalf of the Board extended thanks to the presenter.

RESOLVED

That the annual update report on the Healthy Weight Priority, and that partners continue to work together to contribute to delivering solutions to the challenges raised be noted be noted.

Councillor Rawlins left the meeting at 14:57pm.