Type=image;ImageID=5796;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Councillor Sandra Samuels and Director of Public Health Ros Jervis;TitleClass=strong;
Type=image;ImageID=5797;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Councillor Sandra Samuels, Hugh Porter MBE and Ros Jervis;TitleClass=strong;
Type=image;ImageID=5798;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Ros Jervis tackles the Wolf Mountain climbing wall;TitleClass=strong;
Type=image;ImageID=5799;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Ros Jervis, weight loss champions Cllrs Sweet, Simkins, Daniel Warren and Hugh Porter MBE;TitleClass=strong;
Type=image;ImageID=5800;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Delegates discuss possible pledges during a workshop session;TitleClass=strong;
The Obesity Summit, held at Wolverhampton Racecourse earlier this month, saw around 300 health professionals, businesses and community organisations come together to join the fight against obesity in Wolverhampton.
With more than two thirds of adults in the city either obese or overweight - and an increasing number of young people following suit - Wolverhampton City Council brought together representatives from local businesses, public and private sector organisations, health and social care providers, voluntary and community organisations and faith groups.
The delegates analysed the problem with the help of expert speakers before working together to make practical commitments to address the issue on either a local and city wide basis.
In total, 299 personal and organisational pledges large and small have already been made, all of which will, in some way, tackle obesity in Wolverhampton. They will also be used to help shape a strategy being developed by Wolverhampton's Public Health team to address the issue.
The pledges range from schools promising to invite parents in to discuss healthy eating to organisations swapping unhealthy snacks like cakes and samosas for fruit. Many workplaces pledged to help their employees become more active by getting out of the office and organising "walking meetings", and one organisation plans to swap lunchtime for playtime - offering activities like table tennis during the break.
Other pledges include better promotion of healthy options on menus and reviewing the range of food on offer, offering training for practitioners who work with children to encourage the under fives to be more active, creating healthy eating and lifestyle "ambassadors" in the city and equipping young people with pedometers so they can track how many miles they walk each day.
One school has pledged to provide evening and weekend activities for the community focusing on healthy living, while another is going to ask all its pupils to make their own personal pledges.
Councillor Sandra Samuels, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: "Obesity is a ticking time bomb, and one that we, as a city, cannot afford to ignore.
"We want to make Wolverhampton a healthier place to live and work. The Obesity Summit was a tremendously important start, and it was heartening to see representatives from so many organisations taking part.
"What is even more impressive is that we have already received 300 pledges from individuals and organisations about the changes that they will make to help in the fight against obesity.
"These are examples of a real commitment to tackle the problem, and each pledge, large and small, will make a difference."
It is estimated that some 69.8% of adults in Wolverhampton are overweight or obese, compared to a national average of 64%, while nearly a quarter of Year 6 pupils in Wolverhampton are obese, compared to just under a fifth of Year 6 pupils nationally.
Obesity is associated with a number of serious medical conditions - from diabetes to blood pressure, stroke to cancer, respiratory problems to liver disease, anxiety, depression and infertility.
Among those speaking at the Summit were Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health Ros Jervis - the lead organiser, with the Public Health team, of the event, Chair of the British Obesity Society Jane DeVille-Almond, Pete Shorrick from Diabetes UK, Dr Rachel Pryke from the Royal College of General Practitioners, and Sue Roberts who spoke about health in the workplace. Former cyclist, commentator and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Hugh Porter acted as compere.
The event also featured a 'marketplace' of local health and wellbeing services and initiatives, Gazebo Theatre Company performed a short play highlighting the issue and delegates were given the opportunity to undertake physical activity themselves on exercise equipment and the Wolf Mountain climbing wall.
Wolverhampton's "weight loss champions" Councillors Paul Sweet, Stephen Simkins and Daniel Warren - who have undertaken to shed the pounds as part of the city's fight against obesity - also told the audience about their personal weight loss journey, and revealed that between them they have lost 79lbs in the last 2 months. People can follow their weight loss journey via Twitter at Type=links;Linkid=4188;Title=slimlinesweet;Target=_blank;, Type=links;Linkid=4189;Title=slim67rocket;Target=_blank; and Type=links;Linkid=4190;Title=dietingdan;Target=_blank;.
Councillor Samuels added: "We want to make Wolverhampton a healthier place to live and work, with an environment that encourages physical activity and enables healthy eating. This is a hugely ambitious goal, but it is vitally important that we achieve it, not just for our residents today but for future generations.
"The programme at the Obesity Summit was designed to motivate the delegates to make their pledges and be inspired by evidence and best practice elsewhere; the sheer number of pledges we have already received is testament to the fact that organisations and individuals in Wolverhampton are prepared to join us in the fight against obesity.
"I'd also like to congratulate our Public Health team for organising this very important event and our weight loss champions for leading from the front and demonstrating that, with a little determination, people can make real changes to their health and wellbeing."
- released: Thursday 27 November, 2014