Tag: World Obesity Day

Preventing childhood obesity

Scottish Government funding to help families

Projects that work with children and families to prevent childhood obesity and reduce health inequalities are benefitting from more than half a million pounds of investment.

Ten projects across Scotland will share £538,141. The funding is allocated to initiatives such as Little n Lively – run by NHS Lanarkshire – which provides families and young children in the area with practical skills and information on nutrition and cooking and increased opportunities for physical activity and expanding social networks.

This year a number of health boards, including NHS Orkney and NHS Shetland, are continuing or implementing the ‘HENRY – Healthy Families Right from the Start’ programme which helps parents and carers with children up to five years old to provide a healthier, happier start in life.

The internationally adopted, evidence-based package provides support with family emotional wellbeing and information about nutrition, physical activity and oral health.

The funding is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure all children have the best start in life and the projects support the ambition to halve childhood obesity in Scotland by 2030.

Speaking on World Obesity Day (Monday), Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Preventing the causes of ill health is an important part of our efforts to make the health service sustainable in the years to come. That includes addressing obesity, particularly as we know good nutrition and physical activity is crucial for children’s health and development.

“We want Scotland to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up, and these early years projects are crucial to our bold ambition of halving childhood obesity by 2030.

“These ambitious and effective projects will also help tackle inequalities by working with families and communities to encourage healthy eating and offering support for those experiencing food insecurity.”

Health Improvement Adviser for NHS Shetland, Fern Jamieson said: “The continued early years funding from Scottish Government has enabled NHS Shetland and partners to continue delivery of the HENRY ‘Healthy Families Right from the Start’ programme to more families across Shetland.

“Healthy Families Right from the Start is an 8-week programme to support parents and carers with children between 0-5 years to provide a healthier, happier start in life. Parents and carers have the opportunity to join online or face-to-face groups, providing improved access across Shetland.

“We have had reports that the programme is very interesting, enjoyable and a good opportunity to share ideas with others which has helped in making healthy changes across the whole family.

“With over 20 groups across Shetland, we are engaging with communities to deliver our standalone HENRY workshops. Feedback has been very positive and parents and carers feel more confident at mealtimes, understanding behaviours and cooking cost effectively.”

Projects receiving funding in 2023/24 are:

NHS Ayrshire & Arran: JumpStart Tots – £76,828

NHS Dumfries & Galloway: A whole systems approach with a focus on Early Years – £11,400

NHS Grampian: Training and support for a group of multi-agency professionals across Aberdeenshire to deliver the HENRY approach – £15,000

NHS Grampian: Upskill relevant teaching staff to deliver the Grow Well Choices Early Years programme – £15,000

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde: ‘Thrive Under Five’ programme – £66,000

NHS Lanarkshire: ‘Little n Lively’ programme in partnership with Healthy Valleys – £141,492

NHS Lothian and NHS Fife:  Continued delivery of HENRY core training to early years workforce  – £115,700 (£96,400 for Lothian, £19,300 for Fife)

NHS Orkney: Training and support for practitioners to deliver the HENRY approach – £24,058

NHS Shetland: Training and support for practitioners to deliver the HENRY approach – £23,400

NHS Tayside: Refreshing the Eat Well Play Well programme – £49,263

The Scottish Government published the Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan in July 2018.

Improving children’s health

Almost £600,000 funding to help prevent childhood obesity

Children up to the age of five and their families are being given the tools to develop healthy habits through six projects aimed at preventing childhood obesity and reducing health inequalities.

Almost £600,000 is going to programmes such as JumpStart Tots – run by NHS Ayrshire & Arran – which has already seen a number of young children and families in the area benefit from this healthy weight programme.

The funding is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensure all children have the best start in life and the projects support the ambition to halve childhood obesity in Scotland by 2030.

This builds on the range of actions being taken as a result of the 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan to ensure everyone eats well and has a healthy weight.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “On World Obesity Day we reiterate the importance of improving health and reducing health inequalities across Scotland.

“We want Scotland to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up and we know good nutrition and physical activity is crucial for children’s health and development.

“These projects are crucial to our bold ambition to halve childhood obesity in Scotland by 2030. They tackle inequalities working with families and communities to encourage healthy eating and offering support for those experiencing food insecurity.

“We will continue to support local partners to develop these ambitious and effective plans to help prevent and reduce childhood obesity, alongside policies such as our Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan and Best Start Foods payment, which are central to our commitment to ensure everyone in Scotland has access to healthy, nutritious food.”

Consultant Dietitian in Public Health Nutrition for NHS Ayrshire& Arran, Dr Ruth Campbell said: “The continued early years funding from Scottish Government has enabled NHS Ayrshire & Arran to extend the Jumpstart Tots programme to more families across Ayrshire.

“Jumpstart Tots is an interactive healthy lifestyle programme which offers families with children aged between two and five, a minimum of eight one hour sessions that are planned to suit each individual family’s needs.

“Local parents feedback has been that the Jumpstart Tots programme has helped them make changes that their whole family has been able to benefit from as a result of finding out more about the food they eat.”

Projects receiving funding are:

NHS Ayrshire & Arran: JumpStart Tots – £53,769

NHS Lanarkshire: ‘Little n Lively’ programme in partnership with Healthy Valleys – £150,000

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde: ‘Thrive Under Five’ programme – £305,448

NHS Grampian: Training and support for a group of multi-agency professionals across Aberdeenshire to deliver the HENRY approach – £17,028

NHS Lothian and NHS Fife:  Continued delivery of HENRY core training to early years workforce  – £57,000 (£48,500 for Lothian, £8,500 for Fife)

NHS Lothian: Improving and increasing weaning support £10,000

The Scottish Government published the Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan in July 2018.

Fat or furry?

I’m a pet expert and here is how to keep the extra inches off of your dog

For World Obesity Day, 4 March 2023, PDSA are shedding the light for how to know if your dog is overweight, and how energetic your dog breed truly is. 

PDSA Vet Nurse, Shauna Walsh, shares expert insight into some of the UK’s popular dog breeds and how to know if your four-legged friend is carrying extra weight around the edges:

“It sounds obvious, but dogs who eat too much and don’t exercise enough, get fat! If you feed your dog a lot of treats as well as their normal food, most of the extra calories will turn into excess inches.

“It can be easy to dismiss any extra weight on your dog, especially if their fluffy coat hides the excess pounds! With images of plump pooches – tubby terriers or rotund retrievers being increasingly showcased and viewed as ‘normal’, it can be difficult to know what a healthy shape is for your dog.”

Dogs come in all different builds and sizes depending on their breed-type, but a healthy shape is the same for every dog. Your dog’s body shape will help to give you an idea of whether they’re carrying too much weight.

The veterinary term for this is ‘Body Condition Scoring’ (BCS), and it is simple and easy to do at home with your canine companion:

  • Run your hands along your dog’s sides. The skin should move freely over the ribs, which you should be able to feel with a light touch.
  • Run your hands along your dog’s back. You should be able to feel the spine and hipbones under the skin without being able to see them – they shouldn’t be sticking out.
  • Gently feel the base of your dog’s tail, there shouldn’t be a build-up of fat where the tail joins the spine.
  • Feel under your dog’s tummy, it should go in, not bulge out.
  • Look at your dog from the side and from above. You should be able to see a waist. If not, your dog may be overweight.

Knowing your pet’s body condition score helps you to know if they need to lose some pounds, but it’s also important to know your pet’s current weight – use both together to work out what their ideal weight should be. 

Weighing them regularly means you can quickly spot any changes, and then tweak their diet and exercise to correct it.  You can visit your vet to weigh larger dogs, and small dogs can also be weighed at home quite easily using bathroom scales.

Maintaining a healthy weight is down to feeding the right amounts of a balanced diet, as well as appropriate levels of exercise.

Shauna advises: “All dogs need daily exercise, but how much they need depends on lots of factors, including their age, breed, fitness level and any health conditions they may have.

“Every dog is an individual, so it is very important to consider your dog’s specific needs when exercising them – young dogs won’t need as much exercise as they grow, and that may be the same for some senior dogs, who could benefit from resting their aging paws! For dogs with health concerns, the levels of exercise they need will be best discussed with your vet and adjusted appropriately.

“Unless your vet advises otherwise, all dogs need at least one walk a day for their physical and mental health – some dogs prefer a long leisurely walk, and others prefer multiple shorter walks split up throughout the day. You can also incorporate games and playtime into your dog’s daily routine to keep things fun in-between walks.”

Your dog’s breed plays a large part in their natural energy levels, which affects how much exercise they need. Some high-energy breeds need significantly more exercise than others, as well as mental stimulation throughout the day. Flat-faced breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs, and Shih Tzu’s still need exercise, but often struggle to breathe due to the shape of their face so they need extra consideration to not over-exert them during walks and playtime.

Very high-energy breeds

These breeds are ideal for active owners who will take them out on adventures and make sure they have plenty to do all the time. They need plenty of varied exercise opportunities every day and we recommend spreading these across the day in several walks to have a good sniff around, with off-lead time on top. As well as keeping their paws active, you want to keep their brains busy, too! Make sure you have plenty of time to play with your dog, have training sessions and create some games that will really challenge their minds to prevent them from getting bored. Popular very high energy breeds include: Labradors, Siberian Huskies, Border Collies, German Shepherds, Dalmatians and Golden Retrievers.

High-energy breeds

Whilst these breeds still require plenty of exercise opportunities, they may want a little more downtime than the very high-energy breeds. They will still want daily varied exercise, on top of some brain games to provide mental stimulation, however will also appreciate some time to relax and rest their paws, more than breeds with more energy to burn! Popular high energy breeds include: Whippets, Poodles, French Bulldogs and Cocker Spaniels.

Moderate-energy breeds

Although these breeds aren’t known for bouncing off of the walls with energy, they will still require a good amount of exercise in order to keep them fit, active and healthy. All dogs, regardless of energy levels still require exercise, as well as mental stimulation to avoid becoming a couch potato! If your dog prefers a gentle plod over a run around, be sure to offer plenty of brain games for them to participate in. Popular moderate-energy breeds include: Miniature Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers and King Charles Spaniels.

Being a healthy weight and shape will improve your pet’s quality of life, as they can enjoy walks and activity, which in turn improves their mental health, and can delay the onset of long-term diseases, helping them to live longer.

Shauna added: “it can feel like a big challenge to get a pet to lose weight or keep off the pounds, but trust us, it’s worth it for the long term – we all want our dogs to be in our lives for as long as possible! When your dog is their ideal size and shape, they will be healthier, happier and more active. They will also have the best chance of living a long, healthy life. If you are struggling with your pet’s weight, contact your vet for help and advice.”

PDSA Big Weigh In launched in partnership with Royal Canin – the aim is to help pets live a better and hopefully longer life, by maintaining a healthy weight. With just one month to go, pet owners across the UK are invited to join in and visit a participating practice for a free weight check throughout March.

PDSA has also launched the PDSA #WeighUp Pet Weight Loss Support Group, for fellow pet owners to join, share their progress and access exclusive tips and content, including weekly Q&As with PDSA vets and vet nurses, all to help each pet owner with their pet’s weight loss journey.

To find out more before visiting your local participating practice, please visit PDSA’s website.