Overview:

Obesity is a complex problem with many drivers including behaviour, environment, culture and genetics. The margins for good health are widening and at its root the problem falls hardest on those children from low income backgrounds.The National Childhood Obesity Plan:Chapter Two outlines the actions the Government will take towards halving childhood obesity by 2030 (sugar reduction, calorie reduction, food labelling, advertising and promotion). However, achieving this target will require all stakeholders to get behind this ambition and play their part through sustained collaboration locally between schools, young people, families, public and private sector organisations, voluntary and community organisations. Indeed, this kind of collective ownership will be crucial in the coming years to the successful implementation of Salford’s own plan in tackling childhood obesity.

Salford Schools:

Schools are uniquely placed and have a fundamental role to play in defining good habits and equipping young people and their families with the knowledge and opportunities they need to make healthy choices and create healthy environments. Salford schools are extremely knowledgeable about the issues of childhood obesity and some have developed outstanding responses to tackling the problem. Some of the best approaches steer clear of ‘obesity’ as an issue and, instead, promote health and well-being in really imaginative and engaging ways, specific to their own circumstances and community characteristics. Some schools have developed a strong culture and ethos around health and well-being and have actually co-designed their approaches by giving young people and their families a voice in shaping the delivery activities, thus enhancing collective ownership in a way which ensures delivery is appropriately tailored to their community’s needs.

Wider Partners:

The burden of childhood obesity is felt hardest in more deprived areas and among specific groups who often find it more challenging to access health and well being opportunities (such as those with disabilities, mental health challenges, BME communities, etc). Addressing these type of inequality gaps will not be easy and will require schools to have support from other agencies and organisations through wider partnerships. Indeed, these wider partners may be able to influence the places and environmental context within which our children live, learn and play. For example, they may have a say in the proximity of fast food outlets to local schools, transport planning, school nursing services, school catering contracts, etc. Thus by inviting managers from such services to the seminar - to witness the good practice already in place in some schools and by hearing of their further challenges - will broaden the discussion and may stimulate partnership approaches towards sustainable ways of working to reduce childhood obesity across Salford.