Support not shame to tackle obesity - health chief
Getty ImagesMore than a third of adults are living with obesity in parts of Worcestershire and a county health chief has said they need more support instead of "fat-shaming".
After figures from Sport England Active Lives were released, Dr Lisa McNally, the director of public health for the county, said: "The highest rates of obesity in Worcestershire are in Wyre Forest and Redditch at about a third.
"At the other end of the scale are Malvern Hills and Worcester at about a quarter."
She said the county was going "in the right direction of less nagging and more provision of opportunities and choices". Worcestershire as a whole was similar to the national average.
"I think fat-shaming in the country is a real issue and for young people it causes real problems with mental wellbeing," she said.
"We know through research that kids who are fat-shamed when they are young are more likely to develop problems with their weight, whether that be an eating disorder or obesity, as an adult."
'Stop wagging fingers'
Practical support being offered by Worcestershire County Council includes free weight-loss programmes, funding for walking groups and Healthy Worcestershire sessions, she said.
"We've just invested in another 2,000 vouchers that enabled people to access Slimming World for free," she said.
"The way to do that is through GPs or other health professionals. We're getting about 70 referrals a month."
Dr McNally said empowering and informing people was at the heart of Worcestershire's public health agenda.
"We have to stop wagging our fingers and moralising at people because they smoke or because they're overweight," she added, "and instead, work with the communities in which they live to give them more opportunities to improve their health."
The Wyre Forest area covers Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley.
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.
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