New strategy aims to half childhood obesity in St Helens by 2030

St Helens Council’s healthy weight strategy, which was approved by cabinet this week, sets out a number of actions to help meeting the authority’s ambition of halving the number of obese children in the borough by 2030.

According to the strategy, 28 per cent of reception children in St Helens in 2018-19 had excess weight and 16.5 per cent were overweight.

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In addition, 11.6 per cent of reception children were classed as obese. All of the above were higher than regional and national averages.

For Year 6 pupils, 36.6 per cent had excess weight in 2018-19, which is also above regional and national averages.

The prevalence of Year 6 children who were overweight was 13.6 per cent, which is below regional and national averages.

However, 23 per cent of Year 6 children were obese, which is higher than regional and national averages.

Cllr Anthony Burns, cabinet member for public health, leisure and libraries, presented the strategy to cabinet on Wednesday.

He said that while obesity can affect anyone, those with lower incomes are more likely to be affected.

This is highlighted in the strategy, which reveals that 28 per cent of Year 6 pupils in the Town Centre ward – one of the most deprived areas in the borough – are obese.

This is almost double that compared to Rainford (15 per cent).

“Austerity is a factor, there is a clear link,” Cllr Burns said.

“Increasing social inequalities have evidenced the rising obesity and diabetes levels caused by nutritional poverty.

“Being overweight or obese can have a serious impact on health. It can lead to heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes and disorders like osteoarthritis and some cancers.

“It can also cause substantial disability reducing the quality of life and poor mental health and wellbeing.”

The initial focus of the new strategy will be on children and young people and their families, particularly those in early years.

It says tackling excess weight in children and developing a society where healthy weight is the norm will require action from a range of partners across the whole system.

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“To influence all areas of the system requires partnership working between a range of stakeholders, from local authority councillors and officers to Clinical Commissioning Groups; from local businesses and organisations (including franchises, independents and nationals or internationals); to local marketing and communication; from schools to hospitals; and from GPs and nurses to individuals, families and communities,” the report says.

“By working collectively, we can achieve a new societal and cultural norm.”

Cllr Burns told councillors a “complementary strategy” at tackling obesity among adults in St Helens is also going to be developed.

Click here to view the St Helens Healthy Weight Strategy 2020-2025.