Skip to main content
 

Blackpool declaration on healthy weight

Local government declaration on healthy weight

This local government declaration on healthy weight is a statement, individually owned by Blackpool Council

It encapsulates a vision to promote healthy weight and improve the health and well-being of the local population. We recognise that we need to exercise our responsibility in developing and implementing policies which promote healthy weight.

Cllr Jo Farrell
Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, and Community Health and Wellbeing

Dr Arif Rajpura
Director of public health

We acknowledge that:

  • Unhealthy weight is a serious public health problem that increases disability, disease and death and has substantial long term economic, well-being and social costs. The proportion of the population affected by unhealthy weight continues to rise
  • Unhealthy weight is affected by health inequalities and is more common in lower-socio economic groups
  • Poor diet and an unhealthy weight are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes which contribute powerfully to poor health and premature death
  • Energy dense food and drinks high in fat and sugar and low in essential nutrients contribute to a significant amount of additional and unnecessary calories in the diet
  • There is greater availability and access to food and drinks high in fat and sugar, which are increasingly eaten outside of the home, contributing to excess energy intake
  • Increased intake of foods high in fat and sugar and low in fruit and vegetables are strongly linked to those in manual occupations
  • People living in more socially deprived areas have less access to healthy foods
  • Advertising and marketing of foods and drinks high in fat and sugar increases their consumption
  • Education, information and the increased availability of healthy alternatives help individuals to make healthy, informed food and drink choices
  • Modern physical activity environments contribute to sedentary lifestyles
  • Urban planning can have a significant impact on opportunities for physical activity, promoting safer environments for walking, cycling and recreation

As local leaders in public health we welcome the:

  • Opportunity for local government to lead local action to prevent obesity, securing the health and well-being of our residents whilst considering available social, environmental and financial NHS and social care resources
  • Opportunity to protect some of the most vulnerable in society by giving children the best start in life and enabling all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and make informed choices
  • National commitment to address childhood obesity
  • Endorsement of this declaration by national organisations

Support for the local authority declaration on healthy weight from the following organisations:

  • Association of Directors of Public Health North West
  • British Dental Association
  • Children’s Food Campaign
  • UK Health Forum

We commit our council from this date

14 November 2022

...to sign the declaration to show commitment to reducing unhealthy weight in our communities, protect the health and well-being of staff and citizens and make an economic impact on health and social care and the local economy by striving to:

Strategic/system leadership

  • Implement the Local Authority Healthy Weight Declaration as part of a long-term, ‘systems-wide approach’ to obesity
  • Advocate plans that promote a preventative approach to encouraging a healthier weight with local partners, identified as part of a ‘place-based system’ (e.g. integrated care system)
  • Support action at national level to help local authorities promote healthy weight and reduce health inequalities in our communities (this includes preventing weight stigma and weight bias)
  • Invest in the health literacy of local citizens to make informed healthier choices; ensuring clear and comprehensive healthy eating and physical activity messages are consistent with government guidelines
  • Local authorities who have completed adoption of the Healthy Weight Declaration are encouraged to review and strengthen (where necessary) the initial action plans they have developed by consulting Public Health England’s, Whole Systems Approach to Obesity , including its tools, techniques and materials

Commercial determinants

  • Engage with the local food and drink sector (retailers, manufacturers, caterers, out of home settings) where appropriate to consider responsible retailing such as, offering and promoting healthier food and drink options, and reformulating and reducing the portion sizes of high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products
  • Consider how commercial partnerships with the food and drink industry may impact on the messages communicated around healthy weight to our local communities. Such funding may be offered to support research, discretionary services (such as sport and recreation and tourism events) and town centre promotions
  • Protect our children from inappropriate marketing by the food and drink industry such as advertising and marketing in close proximity to schools; ‘giveaways’ and promotions within schools; at events on local authority controlled sites

Organisational change/cultural shift

  • Review contracts and provision at public events, in all public buildings, facilities and ‘via’ providers to make healthier foods and drinks more available, convenient and affordable and limit access to high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and drinks (this should be applied to public institutions and scrutiny given to any new contracts for food & drink provision, where possible)
  • Increase public access to fresh drinking water on local authority controlled sites; (keeping single use plastics to a minimum) and encouraging re-useable bottle refills
  • Develop an organisational approach to enable and promote active travel for staff, patients and visitors, whilst providing staff with opportunities to be physically active where possible (e.g. promoting stair use, standing desks, cycle to work/school schemes)
  • Promote the health and well-being of local authority staff by creating a culture and ethos that promotes understanding of healthy weight, supporting staff to eat well and move more

Monitoring and evaluation

  • Monitor the progress of our plan against our commitments and publish the results.

In addition our local authority will work towards:

  • Considering weighted/financial support for ‘healthier’ retail (e.g. greengrocers, co-operatives etc.) in deprived areas
  • Improving the quality of packed lunches by developing a local agreement with schools to implement guidance
  • Working with schools to achieve ‘walk to school’
  • Taking a stepped approach to reduce sugary drinks available in vending machines on locally controlled sites
  • Working with commercial outlets within all public sector premises to develop a food and drink policy

Signatories

Cllr Jo Farrell
Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, and Community Health and Wellbeing

Dr Arif Rajpura
Director of public health

To be reviewed 14 November 2023

The local authority declaration on healthy weight has been designed and developed on behalf of Food Active, by the Health Equalities Group and is based on the the local authority declaration for tobacco control.

For further information please contact: info@foodactive.org.uk