The Healthy Weight Challenge

Ruth CampbellConsultant Dietitian in Public Health

Nutrition

Ayrshire Healthy Weight Strategy

• Aim: to halt the rise in the levels of overweight & obesity among children & adults by 2024

Action Plan

• Awareness, knowledge, skills & empowerment• Maternal & infant nutrition• Availability & affordability of healthier food &

drinks• Active travel & active workplaces• Built & natural environment• Physical activity• Weight management

Consequences of Obesity

• Impact on physical & mental health and wellbeing

• Risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, some types of cancer, musculoskeletal problems

• Children who are unhealthy weight are more likely to be an unhealthy weight in adulthood

Obesity in Ayrshire

• 190,000 overweight adults • 87,000 obese adults • 11,600 morbidly obese adults• 1 in 4 children in P1 are at risk of overweight &

obesity • Link between deprivation and obesity

Child Healthy Weight

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NHS Board of Examination

Figure B1.1 - Percentage of children in Primary 1 in Scotland at risk of overweight and obesity combined, by NHS Board of Examination, school year 2012/13 (epidemiological categories)

% at risk of overweight and obesity combined

% at risk of overweight and obesity in Scotland

Source : ISD Scotland CHSP SchoolNovember 2013

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Council Area

Figure B2.1 - Percentage of Primary 1 school children at risk of overweight and obesity combined: by Council Area, Scotland, school year 2012/13 (epidemiological categories)

% at risk of overweight and obesity combined

% at risk of overweight and obesity combined in Scotland

Source : ISD Scotland CHSP School November 2013

Child Healthy Weight Programmes

• JumpStart – 10 week community, family based treatment programme aimed at children aged 5-15 above a healthy weight

• MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do-it) – East Ayrshire

• JumpStart Choices – 8 week whole class, school based, prevention programme

• Based on healthy eating, physical activity and behaviour change in a fun and engaging way

Programme Delivery

• April 2011 – March 2014: 4,872 children completed a programme, of those, 1,196 children were above a healthy weight

• 2013/14: 10 JumpStart and 69 JumpStart Choices programmes delivered

• 1,748 children completed a programme, of those, 434 children were above a healthy weight

BMI of children at 27 monthsApr13-Mar14

NHS Ayrshire & Arran Number of reviews 2971

Number of children measured 2322% children measured 78.2

Number at risk of underweight 25% at risk of underweight 1.1

Number healthy weight 1464% healthy weight 63.0

Number at risk of overweight 432% at risk of overweight 18.6

Number at risk of obesity 401% at risk of obesity 17.3

Number at risk of overweight and obesity combined 833% at risk of overweight and obesity combined 35.9

Source: ISD, CHSP Pre school May 2014 (unpublished)

Potential Causes?

• Maternal obesity• Low breastfeeding rates• Early weaning• Inappropriate use of infant milk formula• Inappropriate weaning foods• Portion sizes

Nutrition pathway for early years

• Introduction of a universal health visiting timeline: key nutrition messages at specific contacts

• Development of pathway for children identified as overweight at 27 months

• MEND 2-4 programme in East Ayrshire• Community food work & Jumpstart teams working

together on small pilot for North & South