The Board to receive a report on the Healthy Weight Programme.

Julie Frier and Ruth Harrell, Consultants in Public Health provided the Board with an update on the activity undertaken over the last year with regard to the Healthy Weight Programme.  It was reported that -  

(a)           the overall goal – to enable all Plymouth citizens to achieve and maintain healthy lives for healthy weight;

(b)          there are 4 strategic aims –

·         to build a strategic, sustainable and city-wide approach to promoting healthy lives for healthy weight;

·         to create and develop active, health promoting environments where we live, play, learn and work;

·         to give all children the best start and support the achievement of healthy lives for healthy weight in their families and communities;

·         to ensure effective prevention, identification, early intervention and management of obesity in children and adults.

(c)         there were challenges, such as -

·         complexity of the system;

·         no quick fix;

·         scale of numbers with excess weight not easy to lose weight or sustain in the long term;

·         funding challenges

(d)        next steps -

·         to continue progress against the plan with reiteration;

·         communication and social marketing;

·         building on Thrive Plymouth.

The main areas of questioning from the Board related to the following -

(e)          the parallels with the alcohol agenda and connection to troubled families in addressing the holistic person;

(f)            funding and accessing joint commissioning;

(g)         sugar tax;

(h)        dental provision for children.

Agreed that –

1.         3 key message to be highlighted to parents around action and support available.

2.         Public Health Consultants to report to the relevant group (system design group) to identify the complexities within the local system and to find a solution.