In help of the launch of our new Local Government Position Statement, the Weight problems Well being Alliance (OHA), in collaboration with 88 main well being charities, marketing campaign teams, medical royal faculties, native organisations and the 1000’s of healthcare professionals, sufferers, and residents they symbolize, has at the moment issued an open letter to the Prime Minister. We’re calling for full supply of the proposed planning system reforms to empower native councils to scale back well being inequalities and make the locations they symbolize more healthy.[i]
With native leaders throughout the nation, particularly these serving disadvantaged areas, eager to create more healthy communities however typically lack the mandatory authority and sources, charities, organisations, and native well being champions have thereby supported OHA’s proposals to make actual enhancements to individuals’s well being and lives by:[ii]
- Making more healthy locations a precedence in nationwide planning steering
- Proscribing out of doors promoting to permit solely more healthy foods and drinks choices
- Shielding native authorities from highly effective business influences
- Restoring the Public Well being Grant with a £1.5 billion uplift
- Supporting the creation of Native Meals Partnerships
- Guaranteeing the total, supportive, supply of the Nationwide Youngster Measurement Programme
This comes as a brand new YouGov poll of two,273 UK adults revealed sturdy public help for these measures. Seventy p.c (70%) of respondents would help a ban on the promoting of unhealthy meals inside 400 meters of faculties and playgrounds, and over half (52%) help a ban on any new sizzling meals takeaways from opening in the identical space.[iii]
Moreover, half of the nation believes that childhood weight problems charges will stay unchanged underneath the present authorities (50%), and nearly 1 / 4 (24%) anticipate them to extend. This presents a major problem for the federal government in convincing the general public that they’ll successfully result in significant change forour youngest residents.
Whereas the federal government has not too long ago initiated a session on how the planning system can higher deal with well being inequalities and weight problems, significantly regarding sizzling meals takeaways close to colleges, campaigners are urging the federal government to implement these adjustments totally. [iv] This can be a essential first step in empowering native communities to create more healthy environments.
Motion to forestall diet-related sick well being is essential to fulfilling the federal government’s missions to spice up financial development and construct a future-ready NHS.
That is significantly important on condition that weight problems presently prices the NHS over £6.5 billion yearly, with broader financial prices reaching £98 billion. Additionally it is a serious contributor to the variety of individuals leaving the workforce because of sickness.
Katharine Jenner, Director of the Weight problems Well being Alliance, feedback;
“Each little one deserves entry to inexpensive, handy, and nutritious meals. Nonetheless, excessive streets are flooded with unhealthy foods and drinks choices, aggressively marketed in ways in which restrict free selection. Since 2016, the variety of kids and younger adults recognized with sort 2 diabetes has elevated by practically 40%, fueled by rising ranges of extra weight. Efficiently implementing the federal government’s Youngster Well being Motion Plan can be a major achievement, with the important first step of giving native locations the ability to create more healthy, lively native communities for our kids.”
Darrell Gale, spokesperson for Wholesome Locations for the Affiliation of Administrators of Public Well being provides:
“Consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks is just not a results of private selection. The fact is that individuals don’t have the liberty to decide on. As a substitute, they’re compelled by circumstances to purchase cheaper, much less wholesome alternate options, bombarded by promoting and advertising, and are unable to entry lively transport, open areas, or inexpensive leisure choices. Solely by creating more healthy environments, the place individuals have higher entry to the issues we have to dwell more healthy lives for longer, can we hope to handle this inequity.”
Ends
Notes to editors
For additional press data or interviews, contact David Clarke at Rock PR
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[i] OHA Open Letter to the Prime Minister. 12.09.24
[ii] OHA Local Government Position Statement 12.09.24
[iii] YouGov / Obesity Health Alliance Survey Results , Pattern Measurement: 2273 UK Adults, Fieldwork: fifteenth – sixteenth August 2024
[iv] The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Native Authorities. Open session. Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system
