A national campaign to encourage adults to lose excess weight, eat more healthily and get active as we begin the new year has been launched today (Tuesday) by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Better Health is working in partnership with 15 weight management and physical activity partners who are providing both free and discounted offers and the website will also signpost to local weight management support.
Over three in five adults (63% of adult population) are at an increased risk from serious diseases and becoming seriously ill with COVID-19 as a result of being overweight.
From reducing the risk of serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and up to 12 types of cancer, to lowering the chances of being hospitalised with COVID-19, the multimedia campaign highlights the serious health conditions which could be prevented by losing excess weight and offers free support and guidance to achieve this goal.
The new campaign highlights six benefits that could have a lasting impact on a person’s health by being a healthier weight:
- Decreased risk of common cancers (colon, liver, pancreas, kidney)
- Lowered risk of increased blood pressure
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Less risk of developing diabetes
- Less strain from chronic back & joint pain
- Decreased risk of being hospitalised or becoming seriously ill with COVID-19
The six benefits’ list has been created based on evidence cited in the Government’s Obesity Strategy: “Tackling Obesity: Empowering adults and children to live healthier lives”, alongside NHS and additional sources, to provide the public with motivating reasons to eat better and get active in 2022.
The campaign offers free evidence-based support and guidance on the Better Health website to motivate adults to kickstart healthy changes.
Better Health has lots of free tips and tools to help people get started if they want to lose weight, eat better or get active; and the site can help you find additional weight loss support. Find out more: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/
