Working together to promote healthy weight

15th September 2010

The Highland Council and NHS Highland have cemented their partnership to face the ongoing challenge of supporting the region's population to maintain a healthy weight.

Members of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee (on behalf of the Council) have adopted NHS Highland's Healthy Weight Strategy and nominated Councillor Hamish Wood as their champion for Health and Wellbeing.

Embracing his new role Councillor Wood said: "I'm delighted to be taking up the reins of such a crucial position. The time for action is now, and as a local authority, we must do all we can to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents. Our culture risks becoming increasingly unhealthy, and the rising trend of being overweight will have a massive cost to individuals' health as well as council and NHS services."

By following the ethos of 'promoting health at any and every weight' this strategy sets out a broad approach that calls for action across all Council services, and at all levels. As well as individual choices, it recognises that the wider environment in which people live, work, learn, relax and play has a significant impact on their ability to maintain a healthy weight.

Dr Margaret Somerville, Director of Public Health at NHS Highland stated: "There is already a great deal of partnership working in place to begin to address the issue of healthy weight. Services and policies across the Council have a key influence on the environment which affects healthy weight, and we are very pleased that the Healthy Weight Strategy can formalise our collaboration in the future."

Councillor Bill Fernie Chairman of the Council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee said: "Health and wellbeing is ingrained in much of the work we do. Partnership work is a key strength between the Council and NHS Highland through our key strategic initiatives such: as 'Your Choice to Healthy Living'; Curriculum for Excellence; the increased uptake of healthy meals in our schools; and our flagship, low-cost access scheme for leisure facilities - 'High Life'. We look forward to working with colleagues across the Council, the NHS and voluntary sector on this vital issue for the future health of the Highlands."

Already the majority of Scottish adults are overweight or obese. The proportion that is obese is expected to rise to 60% by 2050 unless urgent action is taken. Overweight and obesity is a risk factor for a large number of health conditions including type II diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and certain forms of cancer.

It is estimated that overweight and obesity cost Scottish society £457 million pounds in 2007/08 but that does not include the financial or human cost to individuals.

The strategy can be found at
Part One http://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/Publications/Pages/HealthyWeightStrategyPart1.aspx
Part Two
http://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/Publications/Pages/HealthyWeightStrategyPart2.aspx