Agenda item

The Chair introduced priority 2; Healthy Weight. During this section of the meeting, the attendees split into 2 working groups. Each group answered the following key questions in relation to Healthy Weight, facilitated by two lead Officers:

1.     What does Healthy Weight mean to you/ your organisation?

2.     What can you/ your organisation do to improve the outcomes for this particular health topic area?

3.     Would you be interested (as a group of likeminded people/ organisations) in working together to help address this agenda?

4.     If so, what would this joined up working look like?

5.     How will this new way of working be communicated?

6.     What are the challenges?

7.     What support do you need from the HWBB?

At the end of the 50 minute Workshop, feedback was provided by the two groups. The findings can be found in Appendix 1, and 2.

The Chair, Councillor Jeffrey Kaufman, thanked attendees for their input and ideas on the Healthy Weight agenda. A summary of the information gathered from the working groups can be found below:

What does Healthy Weight mean to you/your organisation?

-        Being mobile and getting out and about whilst enjoying your lifestyle.

-        Mindful eating – being aware of what you eat and how it affects you.

-        Healthy weight relates to underweight as well as overweight.

What can you/your organisation do to improve the outcomes for this particular health topic area?

-        Community cooking programme in South Wigston. 

-        Clinic for people who are refereed by health professional/or refer to dietician.

-        More health professionals to provide talks, e.g. at forums.

-        GP’s suggest a more consistent approach across all surgeries.

-        Educating, families about the right and wrong foods, how it affects the body, whilst teaching families how to cook / nutritional value of different kinds of food.

-        Schools that are not already involved with physical activities initiatives need to get more involved, to improve physical activity levels of children.

-        Schools need a similar external regulator such as Ofsted to help push the importance of physical activity and healthy eating.

-        Signposting local residents to local sessions/or accompanying those who are less confident.

Would you be interested (as a group of likeminded people/organisations) in working together to help address this agenda?

-     All attendees agreed that this would be a good way forwards.

If so, what would this joined up working look like? (Networking, working on specific projects together, forming an alliance)?

-        More targets and outcome need to be instructed. As part of a formed alliance, more joint work will be planned, to help out with finance, support and promotion of these projects.

How will this new way of working be communicated?

-        Through regular updates and messages e.g. notice boards, social media, and websites.

-        Through an engaging support network.

-        Regular meeting will help us to share good practice.

What are the challenges?

-        Conflicting advice on what healthy weight is/ need consistency.

-        Parents getting on-board, in order to engage with the children.

-        Accessibility to unhealthy food, how cheap they can be and also the minimal effort required, compared to cooking from scratch.

What support do you need from the HWBB?

-        Facilitation

-        Support through regular promotion and educational opportunities for families.

-        More funding is needed for anything to get off the ground.