In February 2014 Public Health England confirmed that, nationally, 64% of adults are overweight or obese. This increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer and the annual cost implications to the health service of this was estimated to be around five billion pounds.
The health of people in Greater Manchester is worse than the England average and those people living in deprived areas and within certain groups seem to suffer disproportionate health inequalities. Within the last ten years a range of agencies within Greater Manchester have been working actively on plans to reduce levels of obesity, both through medical intervention and through preventative programmes of education, dietary awareness and lifestyle changes. A Greater Manchester Strategic Plan for Health and Social Care has been developed from the ten individual local authority plans.
The case for tackling obesity has already been clearly made at national, regional and local levels. The Obesity and Awareness Support Group brings together intervention and prevention services across Greater Manchester to provide a focal point for collaboration which mobilises the efforts of patients, medical staff, volunteers and other professionals in tackling obesity within our sub region.