01 May 2019
Leeds becomes first UK city to lower childhood obesity
BY Tom Walker
Leeds has become the first UK city to successfully lower the rates of childhood obesity – according to data from the national child measurement programme (NCMP).
Figures from the NCMP show that, over four years, the percentage of children classed as obese has fallen from 11.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent – with the trajectory predicting further decreases going forward.
One of the biggest falls in obesity rates has come at the reception stage (children aged four), which have fallen from 10.3 per cent in 2010 to the current 6.4 per cent.
The fall in obesity rates follows the introduction of a programme called Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young (HENRY), which is designed to increase levels of physical activity, help parents "set boundaries for their children" and curb the amount of sweets and junk food in childrens' diets.
The intervention programme promotes a healthy start in life and aims to lay the foundations for a healthier future by focusing on babies and children (aged between zero and five years old) and their families.
It was originally developed in response to a gap in practical interventions, identified in a report by Professor Mary Rudolf – commissioned by the Department of Health in 2009 – entitled Tackling obesity through the healthy child programme: a framework for action.
HENRY is now part of Leeds' city-wide obesity strategy and is delivered in children’s centres across the city.
The results of HENRY in Leeds were presented at the European Congress on Obesity, which is currently taking place in Glasgow.
The results were also published in the journal Pediatric Obesity.To access and read the full article, click here.
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