This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Public health cuts could hinder efforts to tackle obesity, LGA says
The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that government cuts to public health funding could hamper local councils’ efforts to tackle obesity.
Figures from the LGA show that overall councils will have spent £505 million by 2017 on fighting obesity. The funding is used to measure children’s weight at primary schools and help them lose weight by offering free or partially subsidised access to leisure facilities.
The news comes as the government is set to reduce the sum supplied to councils to spend on public health from £3.38 billion in 2016/17 to £3.13 billion in 2020/21.
The LGA represents over 370 councils across England and Wales and is due to spend about half a billion pounds on obesity prevention in adults and children over four years.
Recent data showed that in 2014/15 in England, one in 10 children aged four to five was obsess, while one in five children aged 10/11 was obese.
Izzi Seccombe, who is in charge of community wellbeing for the LGA, argued: “We would like assurances from the government's new administration that the long-awaited childhood obesity strategy is still on track and that it includes tough measures that will help to reverse the rise in costs and children becoming obese.
"Today's obese children will be tomorrow's obese adults, and with this comes a range of costly and debilitating major health conditions."
Latest News
16/02/2024 - 12:56
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has created a new alliance intended to clean dirty air and improve residents' health.
16/02/2024 - 10:44
Two million more GP appointments a month are being delivered for patients compared to the same month before the pandemic as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan according to new NHS data.
15/02/2024 - 10:26
The Welsh Government has provided innovation funding of £380,000 to support two projects utilising technology in domiciliary care.
15/02/2024 - 10:13
The new Scottish health secretary has met with frontline staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
14/02/2024 - 10:27
The North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) has appointed three new Executive Directors to the Trust Board.
Product Features
UK Building Regulations highlight toxic gas and smoke from layers of paint built up over multiple redecorations as a major cause of permanent ill health or death in a building fire.
Their concern rose with discovery the flame retardant paints most widely used paint along escape routes have been ones which to this day counter-productively use emission of heavy toxic gas to smother flames which rapidly spread along walls if layers of paint delaminate in a fire.
Supplier Profiles
Northwich’s Victoria Infirmary (VIN) Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has enabled more patients
Adveco, the commercial hot water specialist, announces the launch of live metering of domestic ho
Latest Features
Sarah Greenslade, public affairs and communications officer at the British Parking Association looks at some of the problems and innovations in healthcare parking
It’s easy to assume that the comms team is there to handle press enquiries and the occasional social media storm – but the reality is that strategic communications can make a measurable impact across the entire organisation, from operational to financial, when done properly
