Minutes:
The Board received a presentation summarising the Director of Public Health’s 2018 Annual Report.
The Board were advised that weight is a personal issue for individuals who can feel shame because of the current blame culture and media representation of those who are overweight. It was noted that within the media, those who are obese are perceived as being overindulgent, not in relationships or as comic characters.
It was highlighted from the presentation that two in every three adults in Gateshead has excess weight and that one in four adults in Gateshead are obese. It was further noted that in the most deprived areas of Gateshead the proportion of obese adults is almost double that in the least deprived.
The Board were advised that since the 1970’s there has been a rapid increase in food production, portion sizes and accelerated marketing of energy dense foods containing cheap and potent sweetening agents. It was stated that human biology has been overwhelmed as a result.
It was noted that physical activity levels for the UK have continued to decline and are predicted to further decline by 35.1% by 2030. It was further noted that this decline is a consequence of increased car usage, technologies at work and home in addition to a change in occupational and domestic activity.
The Board were advised that obesity does not affect all groups equally, examples of this were provided noting that unskilled manual workers are more likely to have excess weight than white-collar professionals. It was further noted that there is overwhelming evidence of the costs of obesity to individuals, families and wider society; it was highlighted that the full economic cost to society is £50 billion.
The Board were provided with a summary of recommendations from the report noting that a whole system approach is needed and that everyone has a role to play. It was also highlighted that this report is a call to action and that the Council and its partners should consider measures that could be implemented at an organisational level to minimise the obesogenic environment for its workforce.
A comment was made suggesting that a contributing factor to the increase in obesity is the lack of home cooking education in schools. It was suggested that many young people do not have the skills to cook for themselves at home and have a reliance on readymade/fast foods. It was further noted that austerity has had an influence on families and their ability to access and provide healthy food for themselves, particularly those who are reliant on food banks.
It was stated that obesity is an intellectual argument and that collectively, changes can be introduced that will impact on the wider society. It was highlighted that in France, vending machines that offer healthies food items and fruit were popular but are rarely seen in the UK.
A discussion took place highlighting the various initiatives in place within partner organisations to encourage healthy weight and wellbeing. A comment was also made noting that employers should offer adequate facilities for staff to store/heat and consume food they chose to make at home. It was also noted that healthier, lower calorie foods that are pre-prepared can cost more to buy which can make accessing these foods difficult for those who do not have the skills and knowledge to cook for themselves.
The Board also debated the use of town planning and intrastate used in other countries that make activities such as walking and cycling easier to do in built up areas. It was highlighted that the Director of Public Health will attend the Dutch Embassy to learn more about the work being done to improve access for non-vehicular travel. It was noted that feedback from this visit would be presented at a future Board meeting.
In highlighting recommendation 3 from the presentation: “Obesity is a problem of inequality, that needs to be tackled so everyone in Gateshead has the opportunity to thrive” a comment was made noting that participation in groups such as Slimming World can be expensive therefore excluding those on low incomes. It was stated this is further evidence that austerity has impacted on those who suffer the most deprivation and are unable to access support.
It was noted that Gateshead are seen as forward thinking in terms of planning and health policy. It was also highlighted that the Director of Public Health has been invited to speak at the House of Lords regarding Gateshead’s policy to reduce the number of hot food takeaways across the borough.
RESOLVED:
(i) The Board noted the contents of the presentation and agreed to receive further updates from the Director of Public Health following their visits to the Dutch Embassy and the House of Lords.